Premium Well
by Dinas Emrys
Summary: After a long mission, Yang decides she needs to get her teammates to socialize outside of other hunter teams, accidentally causing the girls to finally admit their feelings to each other. WhiteRose and Bumbleebee pairings. Fluff and Lemon
1. First Round

Author's Note: All of the characters are of drinking age in this work, for obvious reasons. Enjoy. Also, due to content restrictions, these are the censored versions. People interested can find the uncut versions via my profile on sites that allow explicit content. Obviously, RWBY is the sole property of Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.

First Round

"It's been weeks since everyone's had a day off, and you really want to spend the night in?"

"Yang, the last few weeks have been pretty rough. We all could use some down time," Ruby mumbled around a soon-to-be devoured cookie.

"Yeah, except I know what 'down time' means. Blake will dive headlong into a book and only come up red-eyed, just in time to pass out on the couch. You'll just waste the entire time scarfing down cookies and tinkering with Crescent Rose."

Ruby opened her still-cookie-filled mouth to object, only get bulldozed by Yang, who had no intention of letting her little sister interrupt her momentum. For the sake of everyone's sanity.

"Weiss at least spends her time outside, although who knows what she gets up to. The three of you barely talk to anyone outside the other hunters as it is, and with JNPR on assignment, that's a damn short list. It's unhealthy. No, tonight, you're all going to wear something cute, come with me to a bar, and hopefully meet someone you can talk to for ten minutes without having to kill something."

What Yang wasn't mentioning was that the team had suffered shorter and shorter fuses of late. Their last assignment, clearing a potential settlement of a Grim infestation had meant spending almost two months in closer-than-close quarters. The four had about a week of leave as compensation, and Yang was not about to let Ruby slip back into her antisocial habits.

Taking Ruby's silence as hard-fought agreement, Yang went off to cajole, bully, and beg the other two into coming as well. An hour later, she returned, surprised that Weiss had been the easiest by far to convince.

"You're sure it's not too much?" Ruby asked for what was probably the hundredth time, posing hand-on-hip in front of her bedroom mirror.

Yang glanced over at her sister in an equal mixture of amusement and exasperation. Ruby had abandoned her preferred knee-length lolita skirt in favor of skin-tight black jeans, and a close-fitting scarlet silk blouse. With her hair up, it seemed like she'd aged half a decade – anyone looking at Ruby would see the young woman she had become, not the grown child she still sometimes insisted on being. Yang fought back her smile, not wanting to embarrass her sister further. She really looked like the huntress she had always wanted to be.

"You look great," Yang nodded dismissively. The key to handling Ruby was not to let her get caught in her own self-doubt. Reassure her too much, and she'd take anything you said mere pandering, or being out of pity. Even becoming a licensed huntress hadn't completely solved Ruby's self-esteem problems. Yang hoped that they would improve with age and maybe a little manipulation on her part. _Sometimes, it's rough being the greatest big sister in the world_.

"I'm still not sure . . ."

A soft ringing interrupted Ruby's latest attempt to slip out of going. Propelling her sister down the hall, Yang just managed to wrangle the door open while keeping a struggling Ruby from diving out the nearest window. Weiss was standing awkwardly in the doorway, her blue, off-the-shoulder minidress tight to her skin under the white coat she wore to fend off the cold. Blake, infinitely more at ease, lounged against the door frame. She'd tied her hair back, leaving her neck – and her occasionally twitching ears – visible. Yang had to clench her hands to keep from petting Blake's ears. The Faunus had made it quite clear that she did not appreciate the others touching her feline appendages. She'd even hissed at Ruby after she'd scratched her head once. _Course, it's hard to look indignant and furious while everyone is giggling hysterically. _It really wasn't her fault, but those ears were just so damn cute. Still, Yang couldn't help but be impressed. Despite how much she'd had to fight to get them to agree, they had definitely come through.

Yang tossed her sister out the door, practically throwing her into Weiss. The pair grappled for a moment before regaining their footing, Ruby practically pinning Weiss against the wall while Weiss ended up with her arms wrapped tightly around Ruby's waist. There was a split second where the two found themselves nose-to-nose, staring straight into each other's eyes. Weiss promptly thrust Ruby away from her, hurriedly fixing her dress and blushing furiously all the while. _She's gonna pop a capillary if she keeps getting all worked up over nothing. _Locking the door before her sister could manage to sneak back inside, Yang turned to her team. Prepared to wrangle her teammates like unruly cattle, Yang smiled.

"Everyone ready to go?"

* * *

Thankfully, Yang had managed to get them moving in time to get to the bar before the crush of people overwhelmed the taxed bartenders. Yang made sure to hold the door and watch as each of her captives entered. Less chance of one of them managing to slip the leash. She had made it very clear on the way over. The three were not allowed to leave early, simply spend time with each other, or pass out until at least midnight. Yang resigned herself to a night of sobriety. Well, moderate sobriety. There was little chance of her keeping tabs on her charges if she started her usual regimen. Sending the three girls off with a wave of her hand, Yang took her regular seat at the bar, refusing her usual flaming concoction. She'd chosen the pub for a number of reasons, the first being familiarity. They knew her here. It made it so much easier to pay off the staff to inform her if a snowflake princess, black cat, or cookie-snarfing demon-girl tried to leave. That, and the place's other patrons were regular people. Most of them kept regular business hours, grabbed a few drinks after work, and for whom a particularly sharp sheaf of paper or rogue stapler was their greatest threat. _Nice and normal, which is exactly what they need._

She gave them a good twenty minutes before she decided to check in on them. Sliding off her stool, Yang went in search of her prey, finding the two loudest members of her team within seconds. Sitting in at one of the tables, Weiss and Ruby were bickering, well, Weiss was bickering. It was hard to tell with those two. Ruby clearly couldn't tell sometimes when or why she was getting on Weiss' nerves, but the ice princess seemed to take offense at the strangest things these days. It was almost like they'd gone back to how they were when their team was first assigned, every little thing managing to get under Weiss' skin.

"I still can't believe you," the silver-haired beauty said, shaking her head in a textbook example of utter disdain.

"Come on, Weiss. It tastes like cookies. Cookies!"

Weiss finished a long sip from her glass before her face contorted into something that would have given a gargoyle a run for his money. Yang hoped it was due to Ruby's choice of drink and not the wine.

"And it's hardly the way to convince people to treat you like an adult. Ordering a 'choco-garita,'" Weiss shuddered, refusing to look at the tequila-and-chocolate liqueur monstrosity that Ruby was sucking like a milkshake.

"But it's soooo good!" Ruby purred, finishing off her first and making a run for a second. Yang smiled wryly. _At least she's _drinking_ her cookie binge. It might as well count for something._ Weiss just shook her head before stalking back for her own refill.

Finding Blake took more effort than the other two, but Yang eventually found her darker teammate, chatting up one of the bartenders. Yang wasn't too worried about their darker friend. Blake was more than capable of being sociable, she just didn't make an effort at it, preferring the company of dusty volumes and long-dead authors. Yang decided not to meddle. It was rarely a bad thing to make friends with the bartender.

An hour later, Yang stood at the back of the pub, smiling proudly as she surveyed the results of her work. Ruby was chatting animatedly with what looked like a weaponsmith, the two swapping sloppily drawn design schematics on ring-stained napkins. The man was a little older, and more grizzled, than Yang would have hoped. _Well, at least she's _sharing_ her unhealthy obsession with her weapon. It's_ _technically _an_ improvement._ Weiss wasn't doing too badly herself. The princess had buried herself in a corner booth, conversing in more hushed tones with a decently dressed young man. Considering the amount of effort he was making to look her in the eye, he seemed genuinely interested in the tsundere.

_Good on her. Given her personality, she should jump on any train willing to put up with her. Even Blake seems to be having fu. . . dammit._

In the crush of people, Yang hadn't even noticed Blake vanish. _Damn her bookishness, damn her stubbornness, and damn her. _Several minutes of increasingly frustrated searching later, she found the Faunus cuddled up into a small couch by the fireplace, her head resting on one hand while staring glassy-eyed into dusty pages. Somehow, she had managed to find and take over the one uncrowded area of the pub.

"That must be one good book," Yang growled, glowering at her disobedient teammate. The entire point of the evening was to get the three to talk with someone outside the team. Living ones preferably, not the long-dead war heroes or fictitious characters the Faunus often spent her time with. Blake looked up, blinking to let her eyes adjust.

"Oh, it is. I may even finish it tonight if no one distracts me."

Yang had to struggle to keep her teeth from grinding as Blake immediately returned to the open pages, apparently deciding that the conversation was over.

"Trust you to find the one lonely place in a room full of people," Yang snapped.

"And trust you to forget that some people still aren't too fond of Faunus," drawled Blake in a quiet monotone, refusing to look up.

Yang realized how Blake had found the one quiet place in a pub packed with people. She hadn't. Yang watched as, rather than move closer to Blake, a group of young men crammed themselves in with the other patrons. Granted, not everyone made an obvious effort to avoid her, but those who didn't just seemed not to make a point of filling the space near the hearth. Yang felt her frustration with Blake fade immediately, replaced by a rage only half directed at the other patrons. She should have known. She should have checked how many Faunus visited the place before she dragged Blake here. Granted, the Faunus population of the area was definitely in the minority, but for Blake to be the sole Faunus in the room was ridiculous. It was something that shouldn't have happened. It was something she should have noticed.

"Those pri . . . ," but before she could finish her thought, Blake yanked her down into the sofa next to her.

"Sit. Relax. You're gonna snap something." Blake placed her hands over Yang's own. Looking down, Yang watched as Blake began to massage her white-knuckled fists. Slowly, Blake's ministrations coaxed her fingers into unknotting, leaving Blake holding her hands while Yang refused to meet her eyes.

"I wouldn't mind snapping a few of them," Yang groused, her threat only half in jest. At least a good beating would go a ways in making her feel better about such a dumb mistake. Among their friends, being a Faunus wasn't anything significant, and after all, Blake was just Blake, even if she did have adorable cat ears. And a deserved beating _did _always make her feel better.

"Wailing on them won't change anything, and you'll just get us thrown out." Blake met the blonde's eyes for the first time since they'd started talking. Blake's expression wasn't that of anger, or even sadness. Yang was the first to admit she wasn't the best at reading people. But if she had to guess, she would have said it was resignation. It was a far cry from the young woman who had joined their team six years ago. Back then, Blake would have been the first to point out this kind of discrimination, the first to protest against it. Yang quietly closed her mouth, putting thoughts of truly justified retribution aside, for now.

"I promise not to crack their heads like walnuts," Yang said, doing her best to sound put-upon. Blake smirked, letting go of Yang's hands as she did so.

"At least this way, I finally get to read my book," Blake smiled, her eyes twinkling.

"I'm sorry Blake. I thought . . ."

"You thought most people were, at their core, decent and willing to accept others as they are." Blake picked a loose strand of Yang's hair off her book, tugging it until Yang turned to look at her. "This _was_ a good idea, especially for Ruby. And anything that helps the princess loosen up is a good thing in my book."

Yang couldn't resist chuckling a little. "Well, at least I can keep you company."

"Yang, you really don't have to. I'm fine. Go have a few drinks, enjoy your night."

"What, with these guys?" Yang snuggled into the curve of Blake's side, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder. "Fuck 'em."


	2. Backdraft

Backdraft

An hour later, Yang was still curled against Blake, staring over her shoulder as the ebony-haired girl flicked through her last several pages. From the little that Yang had read over her shoulder, it seemed interesting enough. Odd for an account of the Faunus Rights Revolution, it seemed remarkably evenhanded. It lacked the blatant self-justification both sides normally used when describing the conflict. Blake finished the book, turning the last page and letting the cover swing shut behind it. Setting the book aside, Yang could feel Blake gently rest her head on top of her own, the two slowly starting to fuse into the cushions of the sofa. Yang had to admit, she was incredibly comfortable pressed into Blake's soft side, her blonde head resting in the crook of the bookworm's neck. Yang was aware of Blake's soft, steady breathing, matching the warm ebb of the fire as the two sat in their quiet corner. With the warmth of the other girl at her back, and the fire roasting her side, she felt … right. Safe. Yang let her eyes close, sighing contentedly, and snuggled deeper into the curve of Blake's side.

And was awoken by a resounding cry of "Cookies!"

Yang jolted upright, cracking her head against Blake's jaw. Rubbing the top of her head, Yang looked up to find the crowd parting before her. A flash of white and red blurred before her. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Yang looked up to find her other two partners moving towards them. Weiss emerged from the press of people with a semi-conscious Ruby braced against one shoulder. From the way the younger girl was swaying, it was obvious she had indulged a little more than Yang had expected.

"How bad?" Yang murmured sleepily, realizing how long she must have sat there as her legs began to cramp.

"Tequila," Weiss said, looking completely mortified. Ruby chose that moment to try to drink from her empty glass, looking heartbroken at the lack of liquid.

"That wasn't the question."

"But it is the answer," Weiss clipped back, her embarrassment not improving her personality. "Your sister can't hold her liquor."

"She has a tendency to overdo things," agreed Blake, her voice muffled by the hand massaging her sore jaw.

"Look, you two stay. I'll get Ruby home before she hurts herself." Weiss shifted Ruby's falling weight back to her shoulder. Ruby stopped mid-fall and looked at the girl who was just managing to keep her upright. Recognition dawning on Ruby's face, she immediately launched into disastrously off-key carols.

"Ahhhm, dreeamin' of a Weiss Christmaaas," sang Ruby, her drunkenly devilish grin growing as Weiss's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Apparently desperate to silence her singing cargo, Weiss lifted Ruby into her arms, tucking her head against her chest to keep her from smacking it on their surroundings.

Yang was surprised at the ease with which Weiss maneuvered Ruby around the pub. For the most part, she managed to avoid smashing Ruby into any hard objects, even after Ruby decided that it would be fun to play with Weiss' hair like a cat toy. Disentangling the girl's hands from her braid with a patience Yang had never expected of the heiress, Weiss sidled their fearless leader out into the night, a swirl of snow creeping in as the door swung shut.

"Well that officially ruined the moment," Blake said, shifting her weight as she tried to emerge from the sofa cushions.

"Hmm?" Yang blinked at her former living pillow, still groggy.

"Don't worry about it." Blake slid her book back into her bag. "You know you snore, right?"

"I do not." Yang cracked her neck as she rose, feeling tight muscles loosen as she stretched.

"Oh, yes you do. It's cute. I thought about waking you, but you looked so peaceful."

"This coming from the girl who purrs," Yang snapped back. If Blake wanted to play this game, she was more than capable of holding her own.

Blake froze, halfway out of the sofa. Rising to her full height, she stared directly up into Yang's eyes. At that moment, the blonde was infinitely grateful for the difference between their heights. Despite her heels, Blake still had little choice but to glare up at the taller blonde. _She's kinda cute when she's angry. Even when she's angry at me. Hell, especially when she's angry at me._

"Outside. Now." Turning away, Blake stormed out of the pub. The crowd dutifully, almost fearfully, parted to let her leave. Yang waited, hoping to give her teammate a moment to cool down before following. Gathering herself together, she prepared for whatever mistake she would have to make up for now.

Yang felt a hand reach out a grip her arm. It wasn't particularly strong, and it wasn't a grip that would give someone leverage to throw her. Still, Yang could feel her fists clenching as she turned to the young man who had tried to get her attention.

"In about ten seconds, that hand will no longer have a body to be attached to." Yang was careful to keep her voice as level as possible. She wanted this to end, and end quickly. If he was too drunk, and she was too rude, this might turn unpleasant. For him. Then, Yang would have to waste the time to beat him senseless, followed by any friends he might have. She doubted Blake would bother to wait that long.

"Hey, there's no need for that," the man said, pulling his arms back and putting his hands up in what he probably thought was a comic surrender. "We were just wondering if you wanted to come have a drink with us. No reason for a pretty girl to drink alone."

"Not interested. Now, if you'll excuse me." Yang stepped forward, her shoulder crashing into the annoyance and pushing him aside as she strode forward towards the door.

"Guess she's more interested in her beast than a good time," she heard from behind, a comment probably not meant for her, but overheard just the same. He really should have spoken quietly. He really shouldn't have insulted Blake.

Not even bothering to activate her gauntlets, Yang turned, dropping her hips to generate as much power behind her fist as she could, and drove her knuckles directly into the man's jaw. The explosive blow blasted the man back, breaking one of the weaker tables as he fell. Yang doubted he would ever know what had hit him. Rising to her full height, Yang tossed a few bills atop the unconscious man. Always good manners to pay for the damages. Giving the other patrons the darkest look she could muster, Yang strode towards the door, giving an apologetic shrug to the woman working the bar. Getting a small smile and a nod in return, Yang was glad that the pub's preference for their regulars still held.

Grabbing her tan leather duster from the rack, she swirled it around her and stepped out into the bracing wind, wincing as the cold air bit against her face and hands. Wiping snow from her eyes, Yang entertained the small hope that the weather would warm over the next few days. Then she saw Blake. Her teammate stood ramrod-straight, glowering at Yang through the falling snow. Blake waited until Yang was within a few feet, then marched up to her, the snow crunching beneath her feet.

"I. Do. Not. Purr." Blake said, each syllable clipping against her teeth. Yang couldn't help noticing the tufted ears plastered back against her snow-strewn hair. Yang pushed her own wild mane back over one shoulder, trying to buy time before answering her friend. She'd noticed Blake's sensitivity about her feline traits, especially her ears. Yang had assumed that they were just sensitive. _To be fair, I wouldn't take too kindly to people tugging on my ears either._

Keeping her voice as soft as she could, Yang reached out for her friend. "Oh, yes you do. And it's very cute."

Blake's eyes narrowed, and Yang saw that her attempt to compare her purring with Yang's snoring hadn't gone over as hoped. Blake tried to spin away, but Yang refused to let her go. Keeping her grip on her arm, Yang pulled Blake back into her. Staring down at the girl, Yang saw she'd been wrong again. Yang sighed. _Might as well go with the honest approach_.

"Blake, I'm sorry, but I can't always know where you're coming from. So, you're going to have to actually _tell _me why you're touchy about the cat stuff."

Blake looked back and up into the blonde's eyes. That anger was still there, but it was muted by something else.

"I'm not a pet, Yang." Blake's voice cracked as she spoke. Hurt, that was it. Under the anger, under the embarrassment, it was hurt. "The problem with humans, they see my ears, or Sun's tail, and they see an animal. Or even worse, they see them as 'exotic.' My ears become a fetish for them. They want to tame the wild animal. Why do you think I wore that ribbon for so long?"

Yang was well aware of how strong her teammate was. She'd seen blade cleave ursas in half with her shroud, watched as she mowed through scores of grim. But at that moment, the girl in her arms seemed like she might break at any time. Blake tried to tug away again, but Yang grabbed her with her other arm, pulling Blake into the bear hug she often used to half-crush Ruby. But this time, she was careful to be as gentle as Blake needed.

"Blake, we would never see you like that. Your past, your obsession with those damn books, the shyness you never admit to, all of that is a part of who you are. And that includes your ears." Blake tried to push her away, but Yang tightened her grip ever so slightly. Yang tucked Blake's head under her own, feeling her soft hair brush against her chin, her warm breath mist against her neck.

"If you weren't a Faunus, you never would have joined the White Fang. You never would have left, and you would have never come to Beacon. I only know you _because_ you're a Faunus. So if those ears are one of my favorite things about you, it's because I never would have met you without them. And _if_ you purr, it's just a reminder of what brought you to me."

Blake was silent for a long time, standing almost perfectly still against Yang. Yang had no intention of moving.

"Us," Blake said eventually, quiet enough that Yang had to strain to hear her over the soft howl of the wind.

"Hmm?"

"You mean, 'that brought you to us.'" Blake repeated, her voice stronger.

" . . . Yeah. Sure."

"And I don't purr." Blake murmured into her chest.

"I know," Yang agreed without a second thought.

"Is that blood on your hand?"

"It's not mine."

"Okay." And that was that.

Yang was never able to remember how long they stood there, Blake pressed against her. What she could never forget was the girl's soft warmth against her chest, her lithe frame so small and thin within her arms. The beating of Blake's heart next to hers. Eventually, Blake pushed against her, and Yang let her go. Blake sneezed, her nose reddening from the cold. Sniffing slightly, she shivered against the wind. Ever the responsible one, Yang peeled off her duster and wrapped it around the thinner girl's shoulders. The thick coat was made for Yang's larger frame and seemed to swallow Blake almost completely. Blake tried to shrug it off, apparently preferring to freeze than accept Yang's gesture. Yang clasped her hands on the girl's shoulders, keeping the coat firmly in place.

"I don't feel the cold," Yang smiled down at her friend.

Stepping back, Yang gave her aura a short pulse, letting it flare around her. A blast of heat accompanied the fire, evaporating the snow around them and leaving the ground steaming in the cold air. Walking back over to Blake, Yang draped her arm around the Faunus and pulled her close to warm her. Looking down, she noticed Blake holding the fur collar of her coat up to her nose, her eyes half-lidded as she breathed against the lining. Catching herself, she froze and dropped the front of the coat, letting it settle back around her shoulders. Still blushing, Blake refused to meet Yang's eyes as the blonde stared down at her friend.

"You okay?"

"I'm warmer now," Blake said, answering a question Yang hadn't asked.

Not willing to push the matter, Yang strode off into the snow for a cab. A soft sound reached her ears, and she jolted to a stop, her whole body demanding that she turn back to the young woman she was convinced had just said something she had never expected to hear. It was almost quiet enough to convince Yang that she had simply imagined it. That it was merely a creation of her still-half-asleep brain. But that sound had floated over the whirling of the snow around them and the muted chaos from the nearby pub. It was a mere four words. Four words that were enough to make Yang's heart jump a little higher in her chest, her breath grow a little quicker, her pulse beat just a little harder.

"It smells like you."

It took everything Yang had to keep herself from running back to the warrior behind her and thoroughly embarrassing both of them. Forcing herself to keep moving forward, Yang plowed off into the snow.


	3. Tequila and Roses

Author's note: Thanks to everyone who sent in reviews for the last couple chapters. If you're feeling up to it, I'd love to know why some of you said it was better than you'd thought it was going to be – especially if it's due to me doing a bad job on the summary.

I decided to extend and roll the one-shot I did for Weiss and Ruby into this, so to make up for it, expect two chapters this update instead of one.

Tequila and Roses

"I love you, Weiss."

Weiss gritted her teeth as Ruby confessed to her caretaker for the ninth time.

"I know. Go back to sleep."

Ruby nodded, rolling back over in her seat to rest her head against the window, losing consciousness yet again.

_She looks so peaceful,_ Weiss thought before she could catch herself. Massaging the back of her head, she tried to get some feeling in the spot the little hellion had nearly scalped. Playing with her hair like a cat toy. _Unbelievable._

"Long night?" the cabbie grinned knowingly over his shoulder.

"Not as long as you would think," Weiss said, trying her best to be cordial. It wasn't as if Ruby's behavior was his fault.

Weiss managed to find some peace during the drive, staring out the cab's window into the winter storm. Something about the silence that comes with a good snowfall, the way it muffled the world around it, had always seemed so romantic to her. The world, absent but for her, coated in a soft white shell. And Ruby had to ruin a perfect night with her drinking. Weiss had told her not to go straight for the tequila. She'd told her not to down those disgusting cocktails like milkshakes. Hell, she'd done everything but force-feed the younger girl to keep her somewhat conscious. But no, Ruby had insisted on drinking and partying herself into a stupor, leaving Weiss to pick up after her.

_And shouldn't this be Yang's job anyway?_ _This was her idea._

Sighing, she stared out into the snowbanks, wanting to flop into one of the soft piles and let the cold envelop her. At least she didn't have to try to wrangle Yang or Blake as well. Weiss wasn't sure how, but the two had seemed to tire themselves out almost immediately. _I guess the three of us aren't as young as we used to be, but still. _She'd found the two cuddled together on one of the couches near the fire, Yang's head resting against Blake's chest. _Sleeping like _that_ in public. If Yang had gotten any lower …_

Weiss felt something soft fall against her back. Looking over, she saw Ruby had slid on top of her as the cab turned a corner. Resisting the urge to throw Ruby back onto her side of the cab, Weiss looked down at her younger leader. Ruby's mouth hung slightly open, her breath softly hissing through her teeth as she slept_._ Ruby's lips looked redder than normal. _Odd, Ruby doesn't normally wear lipstick. _As she watched, entranced by the girl sleeping atop her, Ruby's mouth opened just a little more, seeming to . It was all Weiss could do to keep herself from claiming her lips while she slept, engraving the memory of Ruby into her. Shaking her head, as if it would remove the image in her mind, she brushed Ruby's hair past her ear, gently cupping her face.

"I love you, Weiss."

"I love you too, Ruby. Go back to sleep."

"Okay."

Another five minutes, and another five inane comments from the sleeping girl, and they were there. Pulling Ruby out of the cab, she carried the girl up the stairs to the apartment the two sisters shared. Weiss shifted her burden as she unlocked the door, making sure not to crash the other girl's head into the door frame as she carried her into the apartment. Taking Ruby back up into her arms, she froze, an immense sadness coming over her. _This isn't how I dreamed of carrying her over the threshold_. And yet there she stood, Ruby curled up in her arms like a kitten, her red-black head resting against Weiss' chest and her breath teasing at Weiss' exposed skin.

Abandoning her dreams, Weiss bore Ruby into the apartment like a brand-new bride, taking some solace in the fact that she at least got to do this much. Laying her softly on the couch, she brushed her dark hair past her ear, and smiled as Ruby breathed softly against her hand. She smelled of roses and tequila. _Oh, what the hell. I've earned this._

Weiss leaned in slightly, savoring the moment, savoring her. Sweeping a stray hair back into place, she lowered her mouth to hers, kissing her as she'd always wanted to. Ruby's lips still tasting of salt, she kissed her deeper, desperate to etch the memory of a moment she had dreamed of for so long, a moment she had seen happening, and failing, a hundred different ways.

Pulling away, she gazed down at her teammate. Cursing her pride for what felt like the hundredth time, she laid Ruby back against the sofa. A single button had come undone along her blouse. Any other time, it would be hardly scandalous. But with Ruby supine against the cushions, her soft breath rhythmically sighing against Weiss' ears, it screamed of vulnerability. Reaching down to close it, her hands froze, halfway in the act of preserving her leader's modesty, and so sorely tempted to violate it.

Weiss' thoughts, unlike her body, swirled in a haze of emotions and instincts, her whole being screaming to take advantage of a moment that might never come again, to fulfill her dreams with the girl who inspired them. A peek, a peek couldn't hurt. A fair price for her actions tonight, and all the times before. Just one look beneath a raiment that left so little to the imagination. Her hands slid down, slowly, almost unconsciously sliding each button from each hole, more of her lightly tanned skin being revealed at each step. She lay there sleeping, her slightly opened shirt leaving a long, thin slice of creamy skin against a sea of crimson silk.

A flick of the wrist, and her goddess lay before her, chest bared but for a black lace brassière cupping her breasts. Leaning back in, Weiss kissed her again, this time deeper, more determined. The next kiss landed on Ruby's cheek, her neck, her collar, her chest. Her lips tasted the salt on Ruby's skin as her fingertips traced poems across Ruby's shoulders.

A moan escaped the heiress' lips, possessed by the realization that this was all there could be. To savor the taste of a girl who would never have her. A second moan followed, filled with restrained desires and eternal frustration. A third moan came, and Weiss froze. Her eyes traced back up Ruby's supple form, rising across her chest, her neck, her teeth biting into scarlet lips to hold back her sounds, her hand twisted in her charcoal tresses. Grey eyes opened and gazed into blue, noting Weiss' lips barely an inch from her chest, her face unreadable. Finally, her smile broke the silence.

"Did I tell you to stop?"

As if her leash had snapped, pale lips climbed Ruby's form to wrestle with blood-red ones, their tongues twining, fighting for dominance. The heiress' kisses trailed back down, her captain's eyes and body screaming for more. Weiss found herself mesmerized, her breath whisping across Ruby as her sheer joy caught up with her.

A small voice murmured. "Please. Don't . . . don't tease me."

Weiss crawled back up her lover's body, finding Ruby's eyes glazed in ecstasy. Cupping her chin, Weiss drew Ruby's lips to her own. Weiss broke the kiss, staring down into her paramour's face. Ruby's eyes were half-glassed, from alcohol or sex, Weiss couldn't tell. Glancing desperately down at her lover, Weiss found Ruby biting into her lips, holding back her voice as she shivered from the attention. Bringing her hand back up to Ruby's chin, Weiss gently forced her to look her in the eyes.

"Don't fight it. I love the way you sound."

Weiss pushed hard against her lover, feeling the contours of their bodies mold to each other. Weiss felt her fingers find Ruby's core as she guided Ruby's own hand until it found her, the two crashing together, riding the pleasure until late into the night.

Weiss awoke with Ruby laying atop her, the red-black head resting on her snow-white skin, bobbing up and down in time to her own breathing. Weiss slowly disentangled herself from her lover, picking the discarded clothing off the floor and tossing a light blanket over the other girl. Cleaning up Ruby as best she could, Weiss was infinitely grateful Yang had insisted on a leather couch. She went through the domestic motions of the morning as if in a trance, her mind consumed with the events of the previous night and what they could mean. _Was it just the alcohol driving her last night? Will she still see me as a friend? Or . . . _she couldn't bring herself to finish the 'or.' The possibility of everything working out, of Ruby accepting her, was just too far-fetched, too unlikely. She hadn't been against it last night, but she'd never shown any real interest before, and . . . .

Weiss found herself sitting at the kitchen island, her head in her hands, distracted by thoughts too horrible and wonderful to be aware of much else when a small, endowed body suddenly glomped her from behind. Weiss was keenly aware of the thin sheet that was Ruby's only covering, but the smaller girl didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks for getting me back home. I can barely remember what happened after we got to the pub. Guess I had too much to drink."

"At this point, I'm getting used to it," groused Weiss, barely able to speak, the sensation she was feeling akin to being gut-punched.

Ruby smiled, warming and shattering Weiss' very being all at once. "I don't know what I'd do without you taking care of me. You're the greatest friend ever."

" . . . Anytime."


	4. Black Velvet

Black Velvet

An hour later, Weiss found herself at the kitchen table, watching Ruby plow through a stack of pancakes. It was as if someone had trapped a whirlwind in one small body and unleashed it on some poor, unsuspecting baker. In spite of herself, Weiss was impressed that not one speck of food escaped the younger woman despite her manic eating. _I suppose I should just be grateful she's not ripping them apart with her bare hands. _Weiss calmly sliced a piece off her own breakfast and, somewhat out of spite, daintily placed it in her mouth. Granted, Yang was a fine chef when she could be convinced to cook, but Ruby's table manners were simply abhorrent.

_You're the greatest friend ever._

Weiss felt her stomach turn as Ruby's offhand comment floated painfully across her mind. Suddenly, even Yang's cooking seemed tasteless. Lowering her fork, Weiss pushed away the food.

"Are you going to eat that?" Ruby asked around the chunks of buttermilk pancake still in the process of being consumed. Not waiting for a complete response, Ruby tugged Weiss' plate into reach, her knife and fork blurring as she divided her attention between the breakfasts.

"I'm amazed that you can eat after how drunk you were last night." Weiss snapped back, and immediately felt guilty. What had happened last night wasn't Ruby's fault. Not entirely at least.

"You sure you're okay Weiss?" Yang asked, slipping out of the kitchen to deliver a heaping platter of flapjacks to Ruby's place, "You look like you've lost weight." Setting her own smaller helping at the table, she finally sat down to eat.

"I'm just trying a new diet." Weiss clipped, clearing her place. The sooner she could get out of there, the sooner she could stop thinking.

"Why? You look incredible." mumbled Ruby, somehow able to allow words to slip out of her mouth while shoveling food into it.

"Thank you, but I'm not asking the cookie monster for fitness advice," Weiss snapped back, almost flinching from the compliment, knowing how Ruby meant it and wishing . . . no matter.

"You're heading out?" Yang asked, bothering to actually swallow her food before opening her mouth.

Ruby gulped, barely managing to choke down the massive ball of food in her gullet. Weiss shuddered. The sight reminded her of a snake slowly digesting a larger animal, the bulge in its length slowly creeping down its neck. There was no reason that image should be endearing, but somehow, some way, Ruby managed to pull it off. She blinked up at Weiss, looking as hurt as if Weiss had kicked her dog.

"I thought we were going shopping today."

Weiss ran through a choice selection of curses in her head. Never mind that she was the only one to remember what had happened the night before. Never mind that every time she looked at Ruby she felt like a monster, having taken advantage of the poor girl. Never mind that the only reason Ruby didn't hate her was that she was too thoughtless to wonder why she had woken up almost naked on the couch. No, Ruby wanted to go _shopping_.

"Come on, Weiss. You promised." Weiss looked down at the younger girl and almost cursed again. Staring up at her were the biggest, softest pair of puppy eyes Weiss had ever seen. Looking down into those grey orbs, Weiss couldn't help but remember those same smoky eyes glazed over in ecstasy.

Weiss shook her head violently. Cold shower. Definitely on the schedule for today. Maybe the first of several. Looking down, she found Ruby somehow managing to maintain those puppy eyes while stuffing her mouth. Unable to refuse, Weiss resigned herself to a long day.

"Fine. Pick me up in an hour, I need to grab some stuff from my place."

"You could always leave some clothes here. We have the space. Then you wouldn't have to go back all the time."

"No, Ruby."

"You could even stay over! It'd be just like back at Beacon." Ruby had actually stopped eating. Apparently, Ruby's master plan of convincing Weiss to come back and share a bunk bed with her was a worthy distraction from her bottomless stomach.

Weiss struggled to keep from screaming at Ruby, her boundless exuberance testing the limits of Weiss' notoriously short fuse. Breathing deeply, she forced herself to smile. "And next you'll be asking me to move in with you. Thanks, but I happen to like my place."

Maintaining the patronizing smirk as best she could, Weiss tossed her coat around her and strode out the door, letting it shut a little harder than it needed to. As soon as she was beyond the sight of the two sisters, Weiss collapsed against the closed door. The strength in her legs left her as she slid to the floor. With nothing between them but several inches of steel and one wonderful, horrible night, Weiss curled in on herself, and cried.

* * *

Blake awoke with her morning coffee. Smiling sleepily as she crawled out of bed, she staggered over to the machine Yang had given her when she'd moved into her new place. Over their years at Beacon, Yang had gotten in the habit of bringing her coffee in bed. The blonde had always said that it was the only way to drag Blake out in the morning, and she had never really felt like arguing the point. Yang _did _make a mean cappuccino. By the time they'd left Beacon, she'd gotten so used to Yang bringing her coffee that she'd had trouble getting up without the sharp aroma of her morning caffeine. Seeing the problem, Yang had immediately found a solution in the little machine, claiming that even if she couldn't be there in person, she'd still be making Blake's morning coffee. So, every morning, Blake woke to 'Little Yang's' soft beeping telling her the day had begun.

Patting the little contraption's casing, Blake took the now-filled cup and raised it to her lips. Letting the hot liquid slid down her throat, Blake could feel herself becoming more alive by the second. Gripping the cup against the cold, Blake went through her morning routine, finding task after completely insignificant task to delay the inevitable. A trip that, after last night, Blake was to mortified to make. She couldn't believe how angry she'd been with Yang, or how sweet Yang had been in return. Blake grinned as she remembered Yang's face when she'd realized why Blake was sitting alone. Even if it was a little pointless, she loved Yang's willingness to stand up for her. Even if she could be a little dense sometimes. It was more than many other humans would have done. And the bit about her ears …. Blake blushed as she ran over Yang's words. She'd always thought her teammates saw her ears as a novelty, an indication of her Faunus nature, but not something important. For them to mean so much to Yang ….

Gazing over at Yang's duster draped over her couch, Blake couldn't entirely keep herself from groaning, dreading the moment she would have to return the garment Yang had so thoughtfully lent her. Blake had to admit, it had been delightfully warm wrapped in Yang's duster. Gathering the coat in her arms, Blake brushed her face against the white fur that trimmed the collar. Breathing deeply, she smelled the same scent from the night before, that strange mix of citrus and gunpowder. Yang's scent. The same one that had surrounded her when Yang slept beside her on the couch, her hair tickling Blake's chin while she'd read. Throwing the coat around her shoulders, she left it settle around her, feeling almost like she was back in the grip of Yang's encircling arms. Blake's face reddened a little more as she relived Yang's hug, being held tight against Yang's chest, her face pressed almost into Yang's considerable cleavage. And, of course, Yang had hardly noticed at all. Sighing, she laid the coat back down on the couch, and went to get dressed.

Tossing on a pair of her warmer jeans and her darkest sweater, Blake gathered Yang's coat back into her arms. Stopping only to shrug on her own covering, a black wool pea coat longer in the back than the front, she slipped out her door into the bright winter morning. Narrowing her eyes against the glare of the morning sun, she pulled her hat down over her ears and strode off into the snow.

Walking along the city streets, Blake had to dodge to avoid the bustle of the pre-Christmas shopping. People were rushing from door-to-door, aware of the scant week they had before the holidays, and promising themselves they would start their shopping earlier the nest year. Blake nearly had to spin to avoid a haggard-looking mother leading a veritable troupe of small children. Slipping and sliding on the ice and slush, the Faunus steadily made her way across town, enjoying the brisk morning air.

* * *

Weiss looked critically at her silhouette in the mirror one more time as the doorbell rang. _No reason not to look nice. _Indulging in a bit of shameless vanity, she checked her make-up again, fixing her lipstick one more time before accepting that she was just making excuses not to leave. Adjusting her dress one last time, she made her way across her apartment to the continuously ringing door. _No one ever accused her of patience,_ Weiss mused, finding a practically bouncing Ruby hammering away at her doorbell. Back in her usual corset and dress, the little red and black ball of energy pounded on Weiss' doorbell, her winter cloak flapping behind her.

"Please don't break it. Again," Weiss drawled, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she locked up.

"You were taking forever," Ruby beamed, grabbing the other girl's hand and dragging her bodily down the hall.

"It takes some effort to look this good," Weiss said, feigning an all-consuming vanity. She wasn't about to admit that it had taken her five minutes just to convince herself not to hide under her covers and hope Ruby gave up. Although to be fair, Ruby never gave up.

"You always look good Weiss."

Weiss wondered mildly who the jackass was who kept lodging arrows in her heart. Ignoring the stabbing pains from Ruby's latest compliment, she decided it was time to change the subject.

"What are we looking for, exactly?"

Ruby's head dipped as she shrunk in on herself, the boundless energy finally ebbing a little. "I still need to get Yang's present."

Weiss sighed. Trust Ruby to leave everything until the last minute. "Any ideas, or are we planning to wander until something strikes your fancy?"

Ruby drooped a little more. "Wander," she said sheepishly.

"Worst part is, you know Yang probably already got you something perfect." Yang had the remarkable ability to find the greatest Christmas presents you could hope for, and seemed completely oblivious about it. She had a knack for instinctively knowing what would be perfect for her friends, and was unaware of the other three's continual efforts to outdo her. Blake and Weiss had tried once to have Ruby find Yang's presents ahead of time, leading to a long, secret war between the sisters. In the end, Yang had simply found more and more ingenious places to hide her gifts. Weiss had eventually given up in the face of overwhelming odds, and finished her shopping far in advance.

Looking over at the younger girl, Weiss saw how down she was. _If she slumps any more, her spine'll crack._ Ruby started to turn to look at the older girl, and Weiss snapped her head up to avoid meeting her eyes,"I know, Weiss, and I promise I won't leave it until so late next year. Please?"

Not willing to subject herself to Ruby's puppy eyes twice in one day, Weiss kept her gaze straight ahead. "Alright, where do you want to go first?"

Ruby beamed, "There's this jewelry store, and I found a new piece for her motorcycle, and..."

Letting Ruby drag her forward, Weiss decided to enjoy the little things as much as she could. Lengthening her stride, she caught up with the younger girl, and they ran off into the holiday chaos.


	5. White Lady

White Lady

"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby whined, bouncing around like an overactive puppy.

Weiss sighed. After the fifth place Ruby had dragged her into, and the fifth gently rejection of Ruby's horrible gift idea, Weiss was getting tired of the ordeal. It didn't help that every time Ruby bounced, her chest heaved, her corset pushing her up and drawing Weiss' eyes to the lovely sight. _I think I've found my own personal torment of Tantalus. _Forcing herself not to look, Weiss stayed silent, quietly following the other girl. When Weiss didn't respond, Ruby turned to look, staring hard into her face. Weiss tried to ignore her, but when Ruby nearly brained herself on a tree branch, she felt it was time to take pity on the girl.

"What is it Ruby?" Weiss asked, trying to infuse some energy into the question.

Wordlessly, Ruby grabbed Weiss' hand, hauling her down the street to a small coffee shop set between a second-hand bookstore and a post office. As Ruby dragged her into the shop, the place began its assault on Weiss. The room was a medley of browns and creams, with little red and white displays celebrating the holiday season sprinkled throughout. It felt like someone had transplanted a log cabin down into the heart of the city, cramming it into the small storefront. The strong aromas of coffee, chocolate, and peppermint filled the air, mixing with the smell of baking cookies wafting through the kitchen's open door. Weiss could see the large ovens set into one of the back walls, releasing waves of heat as they opened to reveal just-finished trays of steaming pastries. The sheer warmth of the room enveloped her, drying the wisps of snow still clinging to her clothes. The chatter of the other customers and the methodical, rapid banter of the workers was quaint rather than hectic, and warmed the parts of Weiss that the heat of the ovens could never reach.

Weiss had barely pulled off her cap and gloves before Ruby corralled her into the line. The little red girl immediately began pouring ecstatically over the selection and practically drooling on the glass displays. Weiss fought to hide her smile. There was something simply adorable about Ruby's unbridled enthusiasm, a happiness that Weiss had always found infectious. Making their way down the line, they gave their orders to the young, scruffy man behind the counter. Nodding, a bored-looking young woman whipped their drinks into shape with detached ease, dodging the other servers with a frantic grace. Reaching into her bag, Weiss was halfway to pulling out her wallet when she felt Ruby's hand on her arm.

"Oh, no. Today is my treat," the younger girl beamed up at her, tossing the cash to the scruffy man almost before Weiss could object.

"Thank you Ruby, but . . ."

"No buts. This is my 'thank you' for taking care of me."

Weiss could feel her muscles tense as she winced. _If you only knew how I 'took care' of you. _Reaching back, she rubbed a knot in her shoulder that was steadily growing. _Too much time with Ruby,_ _and I'm going to need a really deep massage, _Weiss thought. She'd found that the only way to deal with the side effects of spending time with Ruby was a long spa day, with plenty of pampering.

Weiss grabbed their drinks - and a disturbingly large frosted snowman cookie for Ruby - from the stone slab counter and ducked through the crowd to meet the younger girl outside. Sipping her peppermint hot chocolate and beheading her snowman, Ruby practically glowed as she led Weiss through the town. Sipping from her own cardboard cup, Weiss strolled behind the other girl, nodding absently at Ruby's constant chatter and feeling the tightness in her muscles begin to lessen as the caffeine worked its way through her system. Suddenly, Ruby twirled around, staring up into Weiss' face.

"Are you feeling better?" Ruby asked, walking backwards so she could look Weiss in the eye.

Mid-sip, Weiss lowered her cup and watched the younger girl, only partly to see if she would slam the back of her head into a signpost. But no, Ruby sensed the oncoming danger and pirouetted away from the potential concussion.

"I can always tell when something's bothering you," she continued, "You get this cute little line between your eyes."

Weiss could feel the tension that the espresso and warmth of the coffee shop had released come rushing back.

"Yeah, just like that!" Ruby said, turning back and darting into a brightly lit shop.

_To be fair, _thought Weiss, _it was working until she opened her mouth. _Rubbing her forehead and not bothering to hide her scowl, Weiss followed, tapping the snow and ice off her boots before walking into the room.

Ruby had dragged her into, of all places, a jewelry store. Making a quick appraisal of the place, Weiss was surprised to find it fairly upscale. Ruby rarely wore any jewelry beyond the cross around her neck, and Weiss had never thought her taste would skew towards a store like this. To Ruby, her only important accessory was the weapon she kept sheathed at her back. The girl spent more time tinkering and adjusting the sniper scythe than most girls ever spent on their own appearance. Inevitably, Ruby would come out of these sessions covered in oil and steel shavings, wearing a cheshire grin and talking the ear off of anyone who would listen about the newest modification. Following her little grease monkey, Weiss slid between the brightly lit cases until Ruby stopped before a long glass box against the wall.

Peering inside, Weiss found it filled with dust crystals, the magical substance painstakingly carved. Glinting with a light that didn't seem to match the soft illumination overhead, the crystals were set in the form of various crests, mostly popular symbols, but a few were examples of custom jobs. Weiss was speechless, only a little due to the craftsmanship that had gone into the pieces. For Ruby to have found this . . .

"I was thinking,: the younger girl started, peering at a small yellow crystal lotus, "I could get them to do something for Yang. She wears nice clothes sometimes, but what do you get for the person who likes to blow up half the clubs she goes into?"

"It was one club," Weiss corrected absently. Among the pieces was a small snowflake, not too unlike her own crest, covered in small white crystals. The necklace was exquisite, and Weiss briefly wondered if she could commission a version of her own.

"One club that we know of. Anyway, what d'you think? You're better at this kind of stuff than I am," Ruby admitted freely. It was the voice of someone who was utterly disinterested in something, but willing to tolerate your strange obsession. It was the same voice Weiss knew she used when Ruby went on about Crescent Rose. Well, the same voice she used when she actually was willing to tolerate Ruby's obsession.

Weiss mentally sighed, dashing her hopes that maybe Ruby had finally developed an interest in something that didn't come with chocolate chips or explode.

"I think you did a great job Ruby, she should love it," Weiss said, impressed that Ruby had gone to such lengths. Although, for Yang it did make sense. Ruby and Yang had always been close, the sisters maintaining a happy relationship that many siblings lacked. Smiling, she watched as Ruby bounced up to the counter, talking animatedly with the clerk.

* * *

Blake sighed, her body and brain still deep in argument over whether to walk up the flight of stairs leading to Yang's apartment. Her brain was making a very persuasive case, the least of which that she was standing on the sidewalk staring at a staircase like a crazy person. Eventually, she would have to return Yang's coat and she might as well get it over with. Her body, however, screamed with all the petulant fury of a toddler, refusing to move no matter the reason.

Taking a deep breath, Blake pushed one foot forward, forcing herself bit by bit up the stairs, cursing herself all the while. Stopping, Blake breathed in, feeling the cold air bite as it traveled across her teeth. Shaking off her nervousness, Blake stepped forward.

Smacking her head on the door, Blake realized she had already arrived. Swearing quietly, she rubbed her head as she pressed the doorbell. _This really isn't starting well. _Waiting, she heard frantic sounds as pounding feet rushed towards the entrance. The door flew open, revealing a very wet Yang, hair matted and dripping, naked except for the towel wrapped around her body. A towel, Blake noticed, that was struggling to restrain Yang's very prominent curves. A towel which seemed just a little short, and allowed her a wonderful view of the water running down Yang's long legs. Straining to keep her attention on Yang's face, Blake found the girl staring back at her with a very strange expression.

"I, um, I brought your coat back," Blake finished lamely, cursing the distraction of Yang's wet, glistening … _dammit_. Mentally kicking herself, she held out Yang's coat, which coincidentally hid most of the Blonde's exposed skin.

Yang grinned, an odd predatory look to her. "Thanks. Come on in." Pulling the coat out of Blake's hands and tossing it into the apartment, Yang stepped aside. There was just enough room to let Blake squeeze through the entryway, brushing against Yang as she did so. Feeling her face warm, Blake stalked past the blonde, doing her best to look stoic.

"Sorry about this, you caught me coming out of the shower. You mind waiting a sec?"

"It's no problem," Blake replied, anxious to get Yang into something a little less tempting.

Yang darted back into her bedroom, leaving the door open behind her. Turning the corner, Yang vanished from view as she dove into her bathroom, lobbing the now-damp towel out the bathroom door to land haphazardly in a clothes hamper. Blake sat down on the leather couch, doing her best not to think about Yang, completely naked on the other side of the wall, the water running down her … _goddamnit. _Taking the most recent of many calming breaths, Blake focused on slowing her heart-rate. Pulling out her most recent acquisition, she pretended to read, counting her breaths until her pulse slowed to something resembling its normal rate.

"Sorry bout that," Yang half-shouted, towelling off her mane while coming out of the bathroom dressed in shorts and a hoodie that really needed to be zipped higher. As it stood, the zipper floated around Yang's middle, leaving a huge swath of still-wet skin open to the air. Somehow the hoodie remained plastered to Yang's skin, limiting the exposure to a massive amount of cleavage.

"It's not a problem," Blake said. _And I'm definitely not complaining._

"You okay? You look pretty red," Yang said, bending over to place her hand on Blake's forehead as she felt for a temperature. "You sure you didn't catch a cold last night?" Pulling away her hand, she kept gazing into the Faunus' face, her worried expression mixed with something Blake couldn't identify.

'Thanks, but I'm fine," Blake replied, forcing herself to meet Yang's eyes. "I'm sorry last night didn't turn out like you hoped."

"Oh, I'm not worried. Seems like Ruby's out of the dumps at least. Plus," she said, flopping down beside the Faunus and giving her a very cocky grin, "It didn't turn out so bad." Yang chose that moment to snuggle into the curve of Blake's side, putting her head in exactly the same spot as she had the night before. Blake felt her muscles stiffen, only to relax as the blonde cuddled deeper into her side. Looking down, she was treated to the sight of Yang's long mass of hair splayed out across her back, the ends of the mess falling down her shoulders and across her chest. With the pressure of Yang's perky softness against her side and the view as she stared down Yang's hoodie, Blake could feel her face turning crimson. Keeping her breaths slow, Blake willed her body to calm down. Yang turned her head, looking straight into the other girl's face. Silently, she returned her head to the hollow of Blake's shoulder, a demonically cherubic smile beaming from her face.

_She's toying with me, _Blake realized as Yang pressed her chest even more conspicuously against Blake's side, _Fine. Let's see how Yang likes being teased._

Bringing her arm around Yang's shoulder, Blake pulled her even closer into her. Letting her arm drop, Blake slid her hand up the back of Yang's sweatshirt, her fingers tracing the line of Yang's spine. Yang arched her back as Blake slowly slid her hands past a few of Yang's scars, slowly bring the hand down to tickle at Yang's tight stomach.

Laughing, Yang bounded forward off the couch, Blake's arm sliding out of her shirt as she came up.

"Well, that answers my question. Do you want to go out to dinner tonight?" Yang asked, zipping the front of the hoodie up, hiding the majority of her cleavage. Plunging her hands into the pockets of the sweatshirt, she stared down at Blake, a definite smirk twisting the corner of her mouth.

"What question?" Blake asked, still unsure how to handle the woman who had been so thoroughly molesting her side.

"You like me," Yang said, emphasizing each syllable as she bounced to the words. As she leaned in, Blake found an excellent view of Yang's chest as the blonde placed her lips by the Faunus' ear. "And you're incredibly cute when you try so hard not to stare at my boobs."

Bounding back up and bringing her plaything with her, Yang shepherded Blake to the door, ignoring her stammered attempts to object. Twirling her out into the hall, Yang swung the door halfway shut, leaving only a very blonde head peeking around the edge.

"I'll pick you up around eight, okay? Wear something nice." Laughing, the blonde slipped the door shut, leaving Blake standing frozen on the doormat.

_Goddamnit, _Blake thought, cursing Yang's ability to get to her so easily. Is this how she'd behaved with her boyfriends in the past? It definitely explained the turnover rate. Yang had worked through a serious run of male companions over the last few years, most only staying for around a month before fleeing. Blake had always assumed it was insecurity from dating a huntress. That or they'd pulled Yang's hair.

The door swung back open, and Yang's head popped back out to peek at Blake.

"Oh, and next time, you may not want to stand so long in the street. It gives me too much time to come up with ways to torture you." Grinning sadistically, Yang began to close the door. "Unless you want me to."

Listening to Yang's laughter through the wall, only one coherent thought was left in Blake's mind.

_Goddamnit._


	6. Sweet Blonde

Author's note: Thanks again to everyone who's written in. It's fun to read your feedback, especially about what you guys have liked so far.

I really would like to get this to a certain point by Christmas, so I'm going to be trying to pound out the next few chapters as fast as I can.

Sweet Blonde

"Which do you think is more likely to cause seizures?" Yang asked Ruby, dangling two dresses with plunging necklines before her sister. Yang had decided that if she was going through with this date, she was going to do it right. Blake's pacing outside her window had made her interest fairly clear, and her response to Yang's teasing confirmed what she'd been hoping. She felt a small pang of guilt for teasing Blake, but she had no intention to stop messing with the girl, especially considering how cute Blake was when her fur got all ruffled. Yang smiled, remembering the deer-in-the-headlights look Blake had given her when the blonde pulled her little trick with the towel. Yang was a little surprised to be enjoying herself as much as she was, although Blake being her opponent probably counted for some of it. Shifting into a better light, Yang switched between the dresses, still trying to decide which was more likely to give Blake apoplexy.

"The red, definitely," Ruby mused, only half-looking over at her sister.

"Surprise, surprise. Ruby prefers the red."

"The red says 'I wanna have fun.' The black says 'this would look great on your floor in the morning,'" Ruby said, ignoring her sister's jab at her color preferences, "With that slit, the hem is high enough that you could probably still take your bike. That means Blake has to hold on, which _is _what you want, right?"

Yang beamed at her sister, imagining the look on Blake's face if she tried to find a safe place for her hands with this dress. Ruby had taken the announcement of the date in stride. In fact, Ruby seemed almost too okay with it. Yang wondered if her storied dating history had desensitized her sister over the years. Ruby might be getting a little too familiar with her dating habits. Yang pushed aside the thought for future Yang to deal with. At least Blake wasn't as likely to scream as the last guy Yang had taken out on the Bumblebee. _Seriously, it was _one_ front wheelie._

Hanging the black number back up, Yang slid into the red silk, feeling the sheath hug her form in all the right places and leaving just enough to the imagination. The halterneck hung from her throat, the two folds of crimson cupping her breasts as they fell down, fusing together just above her midriff. Ruby may not have been the feminine ideal when it came to dressing herself, but she definitely knew what looked good on Yang. Yang spun, watching the gown swirl around her legs, the high slit showing off her thighs as she moved. Yang grinned at her reflection, her chaotic mass of blonde tangles completely failing to match the gorgeous dress. Grabbing a brush, Yang began the torturous process of managing her mane.

"How did the shopping trip go?"

"Fine." Yang glanced over at her sister, only to find her still lying on the bed, gazing morose up at the ceiling.

"Really? You couldn't think of any more obvious way of saying something was wrong?"

"Weiss isn't happy."

Mid-pull on one of her locks, Yang rolled her eyes. Weiss in a bad mood was more an expectation that anything. Directing her most withering stare at her younger sister, Yang drawled "My god. Stop the presses. Alert the president. "

"Seriously Yang. It's not the usual tsun-tsun thing she does. She's really upset."

"You know she hates it when you call her that," Yang put down the brush, grabbing a curling iron and attacking the unruly stands. "Did you try actually asking her what was wrong?" Ruby's silence was answer enough.

"Do you have any idea what might be wrong?" More silence followed.

"Was it something you did?" Yang asked again, almost satisfied with the condition of her hair.

If Ruby could have gotten quieter, she would have. Yang sighed. Whatever the newest problem between the two girls was, it would have to wait. Yang had plans, and they didn't involve playing counselor to her two teammates.

"Where are my nice boots?"

"Hall closet, second rack." Ruby rattled off.

Yang grabbed the footwear, sliding her long legs into the leather and slipping the zipper up the side. Yang wore heels when she had no other choice, but her affection for her motorcycle meant that she'd had to find something functional to wear in polite society. Coming up to just below her knees, the black patent leather was flashy enough to work for most 'formal' situations, and gave her a quick getaway on the Bumblebee if needed.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Yang said, grabbing her tan duster from the rack, "I need to give a certain someone a heart attack."

"Have fun," Ruby called absentmindedly as Yang strode out the door, her scarlet gown whipping around her legs.

It was a short drive from the sisters' apartment to Blake's, the distance due more to difficulty finding a lease in the city than anything else. Scanning the street, Yang saw her date long before she reached the corner by the girl's home. Blake stood in the winter air, her little black dress tugged by the wind, even under her coat. The empire waist hugged Blake's breasts, the short skirt swirling loosely around her legs, showing off her well-toned calves and thighs. She had gathered her hair into a loose side bun that bared the nape of her neck, making her feline ears even more prominent. Yang fought to keep herself from staring as the young Faunus as each gust of air teased her hem, promising forbidden joys to anyone lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Yang felt a surge of pride that Blake had gone this far for her, and a passing desire to hide Blake immediately, keeping this gorgeous sight for herself alone.

Pulling up alongside the girl, Yang popped the visor of her honey-yellow helmet, making sure to speak clearly through the mouth guard. "You ready to go?"

Blake nodded, silently stepping over to the Bumblebee and taking the helmet Yang offered. "I'd hang on to something," Yang said as Blake mounted the back of the bike, sliding the spare helmet down over her hair. Yang waited as Blake gingerly wrapped her arms around Yang's torso, as careful as if she were defusing a bomb.

"You do know I don't break that easily," Yang teased, starting up the engine of her beloved bike.

"It's not you I'm worried about," Blake growled, tightening her grip a bit, "You already had plenty of fun back at your place, I'm dreading what you'll do now that we're on your favorite vibrator."

Laughing like a madman, Yang felt the Bumblebee kick as it leapt into motion, her baby streaking across the pavement. Yang felt Blake's arms tighten around her middle as the girl hung on. Yang grinned, imaging the glare Blake must be giving her, and loving the feeling of Blake clinging to her back. Even through the leather of her duster, she could feel the curves of Blake's body and the pressure of the other girl's thighs against her own. Finding their turn, Yang leaned into the curve, feeling Blake follow suit behind her as they went down the side street. Consciously or not, Blake knew to follow the momentum of the driver rather than fighting it, which was more than Yang could say for some of her former passengers. Letting the bike gather speed, the blonde felt Blake shift her arms for a better grip, brushing the lower curves of her breasts.

"You're not wearing a bra, are you?" Blake accused over the roar of the wind, sounding almost resentful.

"In this dress? I should hope not," Yang tossed back.

Blake was quiet for a long minute. "You are wearing _something_ under that coat right?" Yang smiled at the gentle teasing, happy that Blake was at least enjoying herself enough to make jokes.

"You'll see soon enough," Yang promised, revving the engine as they tore down the street.

* * *

As they pulled up alongside the restaurant, Blake disentangled herself from Yang, hopping off the cycle as Yang tossed the keys to the valet. Catching them expertly, the young man held out his hand for the girls' helmets. Blake watched as Yang slowly drew hers from her head, soft golden curls spilling across her shoulders. Stripping off her leather coat, Yang stood there in a cascade of red silk over pale skin, the absent back displaying the curve of Yang's spine, and just covering the line of her hips. Blake wasn't sure how, but Yang had managed to tame her unruly mane, the now-soft waves of her golden tresses caressing her form and sliding to fall between her breasts. Yang gently handed her helmet to the stunned valet, whispering something to him that made his dropped jaw snap back up. She was one of the most beautiful things Blake had ever seen, and it was obvious that Yang knew it.

_And how the hell is that arrogance attractive?_ Blake asked herself for what felt like the tenth time that day. Glancing over her shoulder, Yang met Blake's eyes, giving her the once-over in return. Blake could feel Yang's gaze appreciating her every curve, the lines of her hips against her dress, the tension in her legs from the heels she wore. Smiling softly, the taller woman reached out for her hand, guiding Blake gently to their evening. Blake followed, looking for something to say and wondering if anything needed to be said.

Entering the restaurant, Yang said her name to the harassed-looking maître d'. A young lapin Faunus materialized, taking the women to their table. Wading through the inevitable rounds of the waitstaff, Blake and Yang contented themselves with silent glances, their legs occasionally brushing under the delightfully just-too-small table. Assured their food was on its way, Blake sipped at her beer while Yang swirled the parasol around her cocktail, neither immediately wanting to break the comfortable silence.

"So," Blake said when the quiet threatened to grow awkward, "When did you know?"

"The trance you went into when you sniffed my coat was a bit of a tip-off," Yang grinned, biting the cherry off her little umbrella.

Blake bit the inside of her cheek, refusing to let Yang make her blush that easily. Hopefully a little pain would keep it under control. "Most felid Faunus have an excellent sense of smell."

"And I smell that good?"

Blake had to stop herself from letting her teeth draw blood. "You have a very powerful scent," she said carefully, refusing to admit to Yang how attractive her fragrance was.

Looking like trickster sprite from a children's story, Yang smiled, clearly all-to-pleased over Blake's fondness for her scent. Yang was about to earn herself a kick under the table when their waiter reappeared, sliding a slightly bloody porterhouse and a salmon risotto before the two women. Their stomachs growling from the smell, the two shared a look and dived into their food.

Yang was halfway through her steak before Blake managed to ask the question that had nagged her since that morning. "Is this weird for you? I've always seen you with guys, so I just assumed …." Blake trailed off, letting the thought remain half-finished.

"I've dated girls before," Yang tossed out casually, taking a sip of her drink. Looking up at Blake, she smirked, "Let's just say Pyrrha still keeps some secrets from Jaune."

"You're my first," Blake murmured, trying to suppress the image of the blonde and redhead entangled in each other's arms. "Girl. Not ... you know."

"From the way you never talk about Adam, that was fairly obvious."

Blake managed to keep herself from flinching at the mention of her former partner. Looking down, she forced her white-knuckled hand to release its death grip on her fork. Letting her eyes fall shut, Blake breathed, letting the air fill and leave her lungs, taking with it the dark reminder of her past. Bringing her head back up, she found Yang staring at her with an adorably guilty look in her eye.

"And bringing up the ex probably wasn't the best idea," Yang said, knowing she'd made a mistake saying that name.

"Do you want to know?" Blake asked, her voice coming out lower than even she'd intended, "About Adam and me?"

"... Not really. At least not now. Not here," Yang reached across the table to hold Blake's hand in hers, a reassuring warmth spreading up Blake's arm. "It's obvious you don't like to talk about that time. If you need to, I'd be happy to listen, but I'm not interested until you're ready to tell me."

Blake smiled, squeezing Yang's hand before pulling her arm back to her plate. "Thanks, Yang." Taking a bite of her salmon, she savored the subtle flavor of the pink flesh, letting the taste and the smell wipe the last traces of Adam's ghost from her mind. Dabbing at her mouth, Blake cleared her throat. "If we're going to keep doing this, I need to get my own helmet. The normal one hurts my ears."

"Not even done with the first, and you're already asking for a second date?" Yang teased gently, bringing her leg up to brush softly along Blake's calf. Blake was doubly glad Yang had switched into heels once they had gotten to the restaurant. The feeling of Yang's skin on hers was intoxicating, and infinitely better than having to play with the buckles of her riding boots.

"I'm just resigning myself to your love of that death trap." Blake parried, with words and legs as she slipped her foot just out of Yang's reach.

"I've never had a problem on Bumblebee," Yang objected playfully, her eyes glinting as she bit into the last of her steak.

"I will admit it has its advantages," Blake could feel the blush warm her cheeks as she remembered having her arms around Yang's waist, her body pressed against her back.

"Oh, it definitely does," Yang agreed, that infuriating and endearing smirk sliding back across her mouth. Sliding out from the table, Yang smoothed a wrinkle from her dress. "I'll go ask if Velvet is in today."

"This is Velvet's new place?" Their schoolmate had retired a year ago after getting married to an up-and-coming chef. Supposedly a culinary genius, he was a master in the kitchen but from the way he'd looked at their wedding, Blake guessed he was of the absent-minded sort. Velvet had been ecstatic about their grand opening and invited all the old school pals from Beacon, but the team's last mission had forced the four to cancel. Blake had wanted to drop by, but hadn't been able to find the time. _Which means that's another one I owe Yang. Somebody's in top form today. _Blake stared after Yang, enjoying the view of her magnificent ass swishing in red silk, her blonde train swaying behind her._ Oh, definitely top form._

Letting her mind wander, Blake didn't notice Yang's return until she slid back into the chair opposite her. Immediately, Yang started to stroke Blake's leg with her foot, causing Blake to roll her eyes and retreat beyond the blonde's reach.

"She's not here. Restaurant's doing well enough that they decided to take a _second_ honeymoon." From almost any other human, Blake would have expected a following crack about the mating habits of rabbits, but Yang was judiciously silent.

It wasn't as if she was surprised that the two were able to talk as easily as they did. Yang and Blake had long been friendly, the result of being the two comparatively mature people on the team. It wasn't even as if Yang's teasing was anything new, although it was definitely a lot more inappropriate. Something about being in this place, in openly admitting the possibility of romance, made it feel as if they were meeting again for the first time.

Leaning across the table, Yang whispered six little words into Blake's ear. Six little words that made her feline parts stand on end and her face turn crimson.

"You wanna get out of here?"

Silently, Blake nodded.

* * *

On the drive back to Blake's apartment, Yang could feel the results of her efforts radiating from the other girl. The death grip Blake had held around her abs was gone, the girl now caressing Yang's chest as Bumblebee purred beneath them. Loving the feeling of Blake's breath against her ear, Yang had to resist the urge to make a few detours on their way home. She would have, but for the fact that giving Blake frostbite on their first date would be a terrible idea. Resigning herself to the night's end, Yang coasted the bike to a stop in front of Blake's place, walking her date up to her door.

"I had a great time tonight," Blake smiled, looking almost as sad as Yang to see their date come to a close. Yang stood there, watching Blake fiddle with her keys – Blake never 'fiddled' – both of them waiting for the other to make the first move. Blake finally met Yang's eyes, her cheeks pink from embarrassment, her eyes begging Yang to do what she couldn't bring herself to ask.

Lowering her lips to Blake's, Yang kissed her with all the gentleness she could muster. Blake leaned into her, hands coming up to caress Yang's head, trapping her in love's embrace. Yang tasted Blake on her lips, the two growing in passion and intensity. Forcing herself back, Yang broke the kiss, leaving the two breathing heavily, their lips scant inches from each other. Resting her head against Blake's, Yang desperately waited as her desire ebbed, achingly slow as visions of Blake's body beneath hers flashed through her mind.

"You don't have to leave," Blake whispered, her mouth reaching for Yang's once more. Hating herself, Yang stopped her with a finger to her lips. Blake's eyes went wide. Pulling back, she looked as hurt as if Yang had slapped her.

"Blake, I've done _this _before," Yang said, keeping her voice almost as soft as Blake's, "I don't want another whirlwind romance. I want to wake up next to you and know that I want to do it for the rest of my life." Yang pulled Blake to her, trapping the smaller girl against her chest. Yang leaned her head down to whisper in Blake's ear, pushing a stray strand of ebony hair back into place.

"I want to wait. For now. Can you forgive me?"

Yang could feel Blake nodding against her chest. Then she felt her knees weaken as Blake gently placed her lips against her collarbone, tracing kisses up her neck. Letting Blake go, Yang staggered back, finding Blake with a smirk she normally only saw in the mirror.

"Tomorrow then," Yang gasped, unsure how long she would be able to wait if Blake was this determined.

"You're making me coffee tomorrow." Blake said to Yang's retreating back. Yang grinned, her whole being warming despite the cold air of the winter night.

"I'll be there."


	7. Liquid Lust

Author's Note: So, this is coming out a day later than I wanted it to. I managed to write myself into a corner and had to take a day just to figure out how I could be true to the characters, given the situation, while still getting them where I wanted. I hope it worked out. Also, due to content restrictions, these are the censored versions. People interested can find the uncut versions via my profile on sites that allow more explicit content.

Liquid Lust

"Have fun," Ruby called absent-mindedly as Yang strode out the door, the heels of her boots clicking as she walked down the hall.

Ruby simply lay there and listened as her sister put distance between them. Staring past the ceiling, Ruby found herself lost in thought, a myriad of voices and ideas swirling in her mind. Letting the tension in her body leave her, she rolled onto her side, curling into a ball against the pillows. Folding a pillow around her head, she waited, hoping it would shut out the thoughts plaguing her mind. It didn't. Sighing, she dragged herself from the comfort of the mattress, swirling her cloak around her as she walked off into the night.

* * *

Weiss sat on the floor, her head resting against the cushions of the couch. A half-finished bottle dominated the coffee table, looming over the magazines spread over one corner. Weiss clasped the think fur blanket around her just a little tighter, hoping to shut out more than just the cold. The television flickers, the last-night infomercial still attempting to scam her despite the lack of sound. Staring into her empty glass, the heiress reached for the bottle.

The ringing of her phone stopped her hand before it could close around the thin glass neck. Letting it ring, Weiss waited for the caller to grow tired of being ignored. Silence returned, and Weiss reached again for the wine, only for the clamor to return. Forcing herself to her feet, she winced as pinpricks spread up her legs, the blood rushing back to her limbs. Staggering over to the offending slab of plastic, Weiss was tempted to throw it across the room, better to silence the incessant klaxon than to let it disrupt her melancholy. Mid-throw, Weiss noticed the name flashing across the screen.

Ruby Rose.

Weiss couldn't tear her eyes from the phone, watching as the name flashed more and more rapidly, finally vanishing as the answering machine took over. Immediately, Ruby called again, her name

"Ruby, now's not really a good time," Weiss started, reading an excuse for why she couldn't entertain the younger girl.

"I'm outside," Ruby's voice echoed oddly through the speaker, sounding strangely hollow.

"Ruby, it's really …"

"Weiss, let me in. Please." Ruby hung up, a light knocking coming from the door.

Weiss flirted with the idea of calling back, saying she wasn't home, anything to avoid seeing the girl who haunted her darkest, loveliest dreams.

Ruby's knocking came again, just as quiet as before. It wasn't the hammering assault the girl normally used to get Weiss' attention.

Weiss swung the door open. Ruby stood in the hall, bits of ice melting from her boots, her hair matted with snow. Grinning up at the snow-white heiress, Ruby leaned in, pressing her finger against Weiss' nose.

"Boop," Ruby giggled before slipping past Weiss into the apartment. Weiss wrinkled her nose as she passed. Ruby smelled like a still. Or two.

"You're drunk," Weiss accused, growing angry at her friend's antics. _Of all people, why did she have to come to me?_

"I'm a little drunk," Ruby giggled, swatting again at Weiss' ponytail. Before Weiss could object, Ruby twined her arms around her neck, pulling the taller girl down towards her. Ruby met Weiss' lips with her own, her body pressing up into the startled woman.

Forcing her arms to move, Weiss pushed her away. "The hell, Ruby?" Weiss swore as she wiped her mouth, hating how much she loved the taste of the manic little girl standing before her.

"You didn't want me to?" Ruby asked, the color leaching from her face as she stared, wide-eyed up at Weiss.

Pointedly ignoring the question, Weiss sighed, slumping back against the counter. "Why are you here?"

"I'm not an idiot. Every time you see me lately, you look like someone put a knife in your ribs."

Weiss cringed. The last person she'd wanted to notice was Ruby. Frantically coming up with a lie good enough to convince her friend, she almost missed what Ruby said next.

" … and I think I know why," the little girl in red murmured, looking exceedingly uncomfortable. Weiss knew she blanched. Her rapid pulse was an inch away from a heart attack, one Weiss would have welcomed if only to escape the conversation.

"Ruby, I can't..."

"Shh, Weiss, it's okay," Ruby whispered in her ear. While Weiss had been lost in thought, Ruby had slipped closer, pulling Weiss's face back down for a kiss. Taking Weiss' head in her hands, Ruby held Weiss to her, trapping her despite her struggling. Weiss gasped as Ruby's tongue slipped into her mouth, flicking across her teeth before battling her own, the two wrestling for dominance. Weiss felt herself melting into Ruby's embrace, and bit ruby's tongue.

Ruby broke the kiss, swearing and checking for blood.

"Ruby, I can't do this." Weiss said, pushing Ruby off of her. " I can't be the person you get drunk and kiss," It took everything Weiss had to choke out, "I can't handle having empty sex with you."

Ruby scowled, "I'm sorry I needed a little extra courage to come here. This is hard for me to Weiss, and it's not like it's our first time."

Weiss froze, unable to speak even if she'd wanted to. Her heart jumped in her throat as Ruby continued, speaking to quickly for her to stop.

"That night Yang took us all out, we ended up having sex. Back at my place." Each word rushing out, as if Ruby was lightening her burden with every word. "We were both really drunk, but I thought maybe you wanted this. When I came to, you were," Ruby turned a deep red at the memory, "You had already started."

"Ruby, I'm so sorry."

Ruby froze, bringing her head around to face Weiss for the first time since they had entered the apartment.

"When I took you home, I … " Weiss stammered, the words not coming out, "I thought you didn't remember."

"I woke up to you taking my clothes off and kissing my chest, it was a little difficult to forget."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Ruby yelled, "Come downstairs and what? Ask you why you did what you did? Cause I sure as hell didn't know."

"Ruby, I ..."

"Save it, Weiss. I was convinced I'd come on to you, that I'd started it. I thought your moping was my fault, that you couldn't stand being around me after what I'd done to you. Now," Ruby paused, her breath ragged, "Now all I want to know, is why."

"I love you," Weiss murmured,

"Excuse me?"

"I love you, Ruby," Weiss cried, the words scraping along her throat as she choked them out, "I can't be in the same room as you without wanting to hold you, to tell you how I feel. I just …."

"And the way to show me that was stripping me and having sex while I was asleep?"

"You didn't seem to mind!" Weiss lashed back,

Ruby was silent for a long while.

"I was drunk out of my mind, and you," her voice caught, Ruby looking as hurt and betrayed as Weiss had ever seen her, "You knew that."

"Ruby, I …." Weiss watched as tears started welling up behind Ruby's eyes. Weiss reached out to the girl, only for Ruby to flinch away.

"Don't touch me." Ruby stared back at Weiss, tears running down her face as she put as much distance between them as she could. "I'm leaving."

Weiss froze, desperate to make Ruby understand. "Ruby, please."

"Weiss, get out of the way." Without stopping, Ruby marched past her teammate, her shoulder knocking Weiss aside as she stormed past. Letting the door slam behind her, Ruby left Weiss in the dark confines of the apartment, alone with her thoughts. Collapsing against the wall, Weiss slid to the floor, losing the will to stay upright. Drawing in on herself, she felt her tears fall down her face, her throat racked with sobs. Loosing any sense of time, Weiss sat there, alone in the cold dark.

An eternity later, a loud pounding broke her reverie, startling her into motion. Wanting the person on the other side to leave her alone in her sorrow, Weiss swung the door open. Ruby stood in the hall, bits of ice melting from her boots, her hair matted with snow. No sooner had Weiss opened the door than Ruby was upon her, leaping into her arms and kissing her violently. Wrapping one arm around Weiss's waist, she held Weiss' arms above her head with the other, pinning the older girl against the wall. Weiss struggled, but Ruby held her trapped in their embrace. Just as Weiss started to run out of breath, Ruby released her mouth, biting Weiss' lip as she broke the kiss. Tasting blood in her mouth, Weiss gasped for air as Ruby planted her mouth against her neck, nipping lightly against the pale skin. Feeling Ruby's teeth break the skin, Weiss bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Ruby, what are …"

Ruby shushed her, a look in her eye that made Weiss want to lock the door and hide. Licking Weiss' blood from her lips, Ruby growled "Don't talk."

"I said I didn't want this."

"That's kind of the point," Ruby snarled, blood-red lips bruising pale pink ones as she kissed her again. Without warning, Ruby slid her leg between Weiss' thighs, grinding against the taller woman. Weiss felt her knees grow weak, Ruby's arm the only thing keeping her upright.

"This is the last thing you want right now. So tonight, I'm going to fuck you. And I'm going to keep doing it until you stop feeling guilty and I'm not mad at you. Now lie back, take your punishment, and tomorrow, we'll talk about how much you love me."

Weiss stared into Ruby's eyes and saw the hurt mixed with furious lust, tears still welling up behind those steel-gray pupils. Weiss tried to look away, but Ruby forced her back, her silence demanding a response.

"Okay."

"Good girl," Ruby snarled as she carried Weiss to bed.

* * *

Blake awoke with her morning coffee. Smiling sleepily as she crawled out of bed, she staggered over to 'Little Yang,' patting the little contraption's casing, and raised the cup to her lips. Blake groggily waited for the warm caffeine to pour down her throat, her absent mind convinced that the coffee was simply taking its time in sliding into her mouth. Blinking her eyes clear of sleep, Blake stared into the empty cup, feeling incredibly cheated. She glared at Little Yang, threatening immediate disassembly of the deceitful machine. Still, the smell of fresh coffee wafted through the room. Searching for the source of the unmistakable smell, Blake found Yang seated at her kitchen table.

"What time is it?" Blake asked, proud at being able to string so many words together this early in the morning.

"Noon," Yang drawled, the corner of her mouth twitching.

Blake growled. Trust Yang to not only deny her coffee but laugh at her pain. "Enjoying my torment, are we?"

"I'll say. I didn't know you slept topless."

Blushing furiously, Blake dove back into her room, hands clasped protectively over her chest. Kicking the door shut, she dove beneath the covers, tears of fury and humiliation welling behind her eyes. She lay there, curled within her blankets until that roasted scent snuck back into the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yang pulled the blanket down past her reddened face, placed the mug to Blake's lips, and poured. Consciousness returned to the dark-haired girl, bringing with it a new degree to her soul-crushing embarrassment. Snatching the mug from Yang's hands, Blake snapped back under the comforter, only for Yang to return with new mugs. Sipping from one, she held the other above the bed under Blake finally popped out,

"I hate you," Blake yowled between sips.

Yang leered down at her, no doubt enjoying Blake's humiliation. "Would it make you feel better if I stripped too?" Yang started to unbutton her sweater, each slipped fastener revealing more of her creamy skin.

"No," Blake moaned. She knew she was being petulant. It was her own damn fault for not thinking about what would happen if Yang actually showed up for coffee. Blake had made it an open secret of where she hid the spare key for her apartment, letting the team know in case of an emergency. Still, Yang didn't have to look so pleased about it. _Why couldn't I have just worn a shirt?_

Leaning down, Yang kissed the top of Blake's head between her ears, hugging the embarrassed girl around her blankets. Blake caught herself about to lean into Yang and stopped, still embarrassed over her nakedness under the sheets

"More coffee?" Yang asked, pulling away from the embrace.

Blake nodded wordlessly. Smiling, Yang slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her.


	8. Hangman's Blood

Hangman's Blood

The scent of roasted beans joined by cooking meat and frying eggs drew Blake from her bed with the promise of a morning meal. Blake wrapped a large coal-black bathrobe around her form before opening the bedroom door. Tying the tightest knot she could, Blake checked herself in the mirror, fluffing her billowing black hair into some semblance of order before exiting the room.

"Is it safe to look?" Yang drawled, only her back visible as she slaved over the kitchen stove. "I hope you like your eggs scrambled. It's about all I can do."

"It is, I do, and thanks." Blake sat down at the table only to find another cup of coffee waiting for her, the steam still rising from the brown mixture. Yang had outdone herself, sculpting the creamy covering of the espresso into Blake's crest. A crest which quickly dissipated as Blake drowned the mixture, feeling energy jolt back into her limbs.

"You're still the only person I know," Yang quipped as she stirred the eggs, "who can down six cups of coffee in a sitting and not explode."

"Enabler," Blake accused, draining the cup only to find another being slid across the table by the attendant blonde. "You know you don't have to go to all this trouble."

"Call it my way of apologizing for seeing you half-naked," Yang turned, sliding the eggs and bacon onto Blake's plate before pulling out some for herself. "I can say that you look incredibly attractive in the morning."

"Flatterer," Blake growled, digging into the food and doing her best to forget the embarrasment. "You should have woken me."

"I'm too well behaved to enter a lady's bedroom without permission." Yang smiled gently, drowning her eggs in pepper. "Unless she's crying."

"I wasn't crying."

"I know." Yang said, her smile absent any hint of her usual mocking smirk.

Scowling, Blake grabbed her fork and speared the largest piece of bacon she could find. The last few days had been nothing but Yang catching her off guard, taunting and teasing her at every opportunity. _Time to turn the tables. _Thrusting out, she jammed the bacon into Yang's open mouth. The blonde's eyes went wide, and Blake worried for a moment that Yang might choke. But no, Yang was still able to bite the food off the offending fork, and even managed to – mostly – keep from giggling.

"It's good," Yang laughed around the meat. Swallowing, she looked back at Blake, that mischievous glint sneaking back into her eye. "Think it'd be easier if you did it by hand though. Less chance of me getting stabbed."

Blake watched as Yang opened her mouth wide, looking all the part of a baby bird demanding to be fed. G_oddamnit._

Tentatively, Blake grabbed a crispy morsel and placed the end of the strip gently in Yang's teeth. Yang bit it off, piece-by-piece, slowly eating through the bacon. Blake was about to put the last piece into Yang's mouth when the blonde gently wrapped her lips around Blake's fingers. Swallowing the last of the bacon, Yang continued kissing Blake's hand. Blake twitched as she felt Yang's tongue flick across her fingers. Grinning, Yang let the thin fingers pop out of her mouth. Both girls met each other's eyes, Blake's downcast, Yang's infinitely playful and enjoying every minute of it.

"So, that happened." Blake cleared her throat, quickly shoveling egg into her mouth as an excuse to stop talking.

Yang grinned, getting up from the table.

"Get dressed," she said, clearing the table. "We're going out."

* * *

Weiss groaned as she woke, her body aching. She turned, and found the bed empty but for her. Having no reason to wake, no reason to move, she settled back into the covers, refusing to begin the day.

Something exploded, followed by the clatter of metal smashing together. Trying to sit up, she cried out as she put pressure on her hips. Rolling onto her stomach, she breathed as she waited for her sore body to stop screaming at her. Flexing her muscles, she realized it would take some time for her body to recover from the night's antics. Looking back, Weiss felt herself wince. Sections of her rear were just starting to turn purple, the bruising speckled down to the backs of her upper thighs. Feeling her neck, she found the bite mark Ruby had left, still a little tender. Weiss pushed herself from the bed, careful to avoid putting any weight on her sorest parts. Wrapping her kimono around her bruised and naked body, Weiss staggered out into the main room of her apartment, Myrtenaster in hand.

Opening the door, Weiss's jaw dropped at the destruction of her kitchen. Several skillets were heating over Weiss' expansive stovetop, the smell of maple syrup and coffee pervading the room. Piles of used pans were stacked in the sink, black char crusting most of them. A bag of flour lay upturned on the counter, spilling onto the floor. A tornado had hit her apartment, turning her cookware into debris and leaving one frying pan impossibly lodged into the wall. All of this was still overshadowed by the small figure bustling around the room. Ruby was clad in nothing but an apron, her cute butt wiggling as she worried over several skillets at once. Flour smeared across her hair and face, and one of the apron's shoulder straps had slipped down and dangled by her upper arm. Her eyes were wide as she ran between burners, sliding on the flour coating the floor.

Closing the door as quietly as she could, Weiss shut out the chaos taking place in her home. Breathing to calm her nerves, she opened the door again, hoping that she was merely hallucinating. Ruby still stood there, racing to keep her latest attempt at breakfast from exploding. A plume of black smoke indicated another failure. Accepting that this was no delusional fever dream, Weiss limped into the room, making just enough noise to let the other girl know she was awake.

Ruby whirled to face Weiss, her face half-covered in flour, hair akimbo, her only clothing capable of falling at any time. Dimpling at the older girl, Ruby bounced, quickly hiding the half-melted spatula behind her back.

"Good morning," Ruby cheered, giving Weiss a little curtsy that threatened to destroy the minimum modesty the thigh-length apron retained.

"What are you wearing?"

Ruby blushed, clearly not entirely comfortable with her state of undress. "That's not the _first_ question I was expecting."

Weiss scanned the room a second time, noting the repairs that needed doing. "Honestly," Weiss forced her face to stay straight, "I would have expected worse." Making her way over to a chair, she grabbed the back, leaning much of her weight on the wood. "Now, what _are_ you wearing?"

Ruby pouted at Weiss' estimation of her cooking skills, despite its accuracy. Shuffling her foot in the flour piling around her ankles, Ruby started to wring her hands. "I may have been a little hard on you last night. Not that you didn't deserve it, I just thought I'd do something nice and make you breakfast."

"That explains the mess, not the penthouse forum act."

Ruby bounced again, the thin apron struggling to contain her chest. "Well, after last night, my clothes were a little … well, you kinda …." Ruby sighed, trying to be delicate, "You were a little messy last night."

Weiss grimaced. One of her least favorite parts of sex was the clean-up afterward. She had always been, as Ruby said, _messy_. Weiss rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to suppress the headache Ruby's evasion was causing."You could always have borrowed some clothes."

Ruby's dimples returned, her expression just a little too innocent. "I thought you might prefer this." Bouncing back to the skillets, Weiss was treated to an excellent view of Ruby's tight little ass. She smiled in spite of herself, appreciating what Ruby was doing. She didn't think she deserved it, and the ache in her legs reminded her of Ruby's anger from the night before.

"Ruby, you didn't have to do this."

"I know." Weiss watched as Ruby's face fell, the puppy-love expression she'd worn until then slipping off her face. "What you did was wrong, but I'd be lying if I said I violated you any less than you did me that night. It was the only way I thought I could make myself forgive you." Ruby looked sadly at the bruises on Weiss' thighs. "I still feel bad about what I put you through."

Weiss wrapped her arms around the younger girl's shoulders, feeling Ruby's warmth spread into her. "If that's what it took for you to forgive me, I'd do it again and again." Ruby laid her head back against Weiss's arm, accidentally on top of one of her bite marks. Weiss winced, opening her eyes to find Ruby staring up at her with concern. Ever so gently, Ruby lowered her lips to Weiss' hurt and kissed it.

"Any better?" Ruby asked. Ignoring the pain the girl had caused, again, Weiss smiled at the adorable little gesture.

"Much."

The two stood in a comfortable silence, neither sure what to say or do.

"So," Ruby bounced again, the change in topic returning the energy to the young woman, "Do you like it?" Shimmying her hips, Ruby showed off all that the apron revealed.

"I really do." Beaming, Ruby sprang back to her latest attempt at a meal, managing to break the half-cooked flapjack mid-flip. Moving behind the other girl, Weiss took Ruby's hands in hers, guiding her through the process, pressing against Ruby's near-naked back. Watching Ruby try the trick on her own, Weiss let her fingers wander, tracing the outline of the girl before her. Falling to the hem of the outfit, her fingers slipped beneath the cloth, tickling up Ruby's thighs.

"Weiss!" Giggling madly, Ruby smacked Weiss with a dishtowel, mostly missing her bruises.

* * *

"Was there anything you actually wanted to do?" Blake asked, her hand in Yang's as the two walked the holiday streets. Lights shone from storefronts while bushes peeked through the packed snow, hardened by layers of ice and cold. The crowds were heavier than the day before, everyone lost in their shopping, their errands, their dates. Hordes of couples spread throughout the town, spending the daytime hours with each other, avoiding family and friends to simply be with each other. Blake caught a glimpse of one young couple kissing in a doorway under the mistletoe, the two blissfully oblivious to the world around them. Slitted golden eyes twinkled as she added another item to her shopping list.

"I thought it'd be fun to get out for a bit." Yang looked down at Blake, looking as playful as ever. "Is it so weird to want to spend time with my girlfriend?"

"So I'm your girlfriend now," Blake said, arching her eyebrow.

"I thought it was a safe bet." Yang leaned into Blake, blonde head resting against Blake's jet-black hair.

Blake froze, only half listening to Yang. A figure buried in the crowds drew her eyes, a large-brimmed black hat pulled down over his face. He was only a little over average height, of average weight, and moved with a pace matching most of those in the crowd. Overall, he seemed almost perfectly average. There was no reason for anyone to pay attention to someone so clearly insignificant, but that perfect inconspicuousness screamed at Blake. Blake's time in the White Fang, and later conflict with its members, had taught her quite a bit about how to slip into places unseen. The only people that anonymous were the ones who didn't want to be seen. There was no reason for Blake to feel that she knew the man, and yet ….

Letting go of Yang's hand, Blake slipped after the figure, relying on her reflexes to dodge the bustling shoppers while she pursued him. The man turned down an alley, slipping into a darkness too deep for anyone but a Faunus to see through.

Blake followed, keeping one hand near the weapon at her back. Slipping around the corner, she stayed back just enough not to draw attention. The man zigzagged across the city, slipping from crowded streets to darkened alleys, finally turning into a small building on the edge of town. Blake slid along the wall until she found a window. Muffled voices came from the other side of the wall, growing louder and more indistinct as the conversation continued. Keeping out of sight, she glanced around the edge of the window pane.

Two men stood in the abandoned building, arguing in muffled voices. The man she had followed stood with his back to her, the fedora still hiding his identity. Something about the way he moved seemed familiar, but Blake couldn't place it. The newer arrival wore a plain, if clearly cheap, business suit. He looked every bit the part of a boring office worker. The two men were arguing about something, the walls too thick for her to make out much without giving herself away. Without warning, the hat decked the suit, knocking the man's glasses flying across the concrete floor. The two grappled, the suit quickly losing ground as the other man tossed him around. Catching him around his neck, the hat bent the businessman backward. Still on his feet, the suit fumbled ineffectually, held up only by his attackers grip. Jerking, the man in the hat broke his target's neck, leaving him to flop limply to the floor. As the man rose, his hat slipped, revealing the face of Adam Taurus.

Blake whirled away from the window, hoping that he hadn't seen her during the skirmish. Holding her breath, she willed her heart to slow, the pounding beat echoing in her ears. Slowly, the sound of footsteps reached her, growing quieter as a man she had thought dead exited the building. When she looked again, he was gone.

Blake slowly made her way back through town, finally finding Yang still waiting where she'd left her. The blonde sat sprawled across a bench, looking perfectly comfortable.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" she drawled, dusting herself off as she rose, her eyes still twinkling playfully.

Blake paused for a moment before answering. She was glad that Yang didn't seem angry over her abandonment. She was not sure she wanted to tell Yang. She was not even sure she believed it herself. She'd seen Adam die, impaled on Ruby's scythe in their last fight. A hundred impossible explanations that deserved plotlines on daytime soaps filled her mind. Quieting her overactive imagination, she decided against telling Yang. At least for now. She needed to make sure. When it came down to it, Adam was her problem, not the teams, and not Yang's. She would handle this.

Blake forced herself to smile back at her lover. "Just had to run an errand."

Yang cocked an eyebrow, clearly not believing the obvious lie. Blake simply hoped the girl would come to the conclusion that she wanted her to.

"Keeping secrets?" Yang feigned offense, the humor that normally cheered Blake falling on deaf ears. "It is the season for surprises." Her eyes wiggling suggestively, Yang let the matter drop. Blake relaxed, knowing that Yang wasn't about to press the issue.

* * *

Their date lasted until a the grip of winter descended upon the town, turning the already-cold city into a frozen wasteland. Snow whipped in the faces of the shoppers, driving many back into their homes, businesses closing behind them. The snow was already half a foot deep in places, and pedestrians dodged as the wind knocked icicles into the street. In spite of the storm, Blake and Yang laughed as they slipped and slid on the ice. Their clothes were whipped around them by the wind, forcing the two to cling together for balance and warmth, an idea both found rather pleasant. The two girls finally darted from the near-empty street to Blake's apartment door, the wind tearing at their hair as the storm worsened. The two jumped inside the room, Yang slamming the door against the cold while Blake cranked the thermostat several degrees higher.

The two stood, breathing heavily as the whine of the wind echoed through the building. Taking off her coat, Blake hung it on the wall, only to find Yang bundling herself up tighter.

"I really have to head home," Yang said, apologizing to Blake's quizzical stare, "Ruby gets all worked up when she's worried."

"Send her a text. Yang, it's a blizzard out there."

Yang grinned and kissed Blake's head between her ears. "And if I don't leave now, I won't make it home."

Blake shook her off, refusing to be ignored. "You're going to freeze to death."

"I don't feel the cold," Yang joked, forcing the door open against the wind. Yang had made it halfway outside when she felt Blake's arms wrap around her torso.

Blake shivered against her back as she whispered, "Yang, I've waited long enough. Get in the damn flat."

Yang turned, finding Blake crimson despite the cold. Her ears were flat against her head, golden eyes locked on violet ones. She looked so forlorn that Yang couldn't help feeling for her. Yang embraced her girlfriend's begging body with every fiber of her own. Lowering her mouth to Blake's, they kissed, Blake's thin fingers twining in Yang's yellow curls. Kicking the door shut, Yang lifted Blake into her arms, Blake curling into her chest as thin fingers came up to cup Yang's face. Blake broke the kiss, and nuzzled into Yang's chest, causing the blonde to giggle as jet-black hair tickled soft creamy skin. Yang laid her girlfriend on the bed, her thin body resting atop the comforter. Yang went back to close the door, only to hear the unmistakable sound of rustling clothing behind her. Yang waited until the rustling stopped, the let the door snap shut.

"Turn off the lights," murmured Blake.

Yang looked at the figure on the bed. There Blake sat, her long black tresses her only covering, her pale skin shining even in the darkness. Her ears leaned back, honest about her nervousness despite the cool expression she wore.

"Come to bed."

Yang obeyed.


	9. Shock Me

Author's Note: I wanted to say thanks to everyone who wrote in during my hiatus. Honestly, there's nothing as flattering as checking your inbox and finding a list of notices about story follows, favorites, and comments. Thanks again, and enjoy.

Shock Me

Weiss sighed as she slumped deeper into the claw-foot tub. The scalding water washed across her body, soothing every muscle and lifting her enough to keep her sore backside from pressing too firmly against the bottom. The smell of lilac drifted from the candle Ruby had materialized from god-knows-where, the flowery scent mixing with the musky shampoo. Her eyes fluttered shut as Ruby took her long hair in hand, letting the silvery sheet hang behind her as the water washed across her skin. Strong, calloused fingers began to massage her scalp, ivory foam mixing with snow-white hair as Ruby worked her way through Weiss' long tresses.

Weiss felt herself drifting, not daring to imagine that this moment could be real. That the girl she adored could be pampering her this completely. And yet, that had been Ruby's mission since they had salvaged the remains of breakfast. Finally putting on more clothes, at Weiss' insistence, Ruby had spent the day waiting on her hand and foot, ignoring Weiss' constant objections. The younger girl had the audacity to tuck her in for a nap, only to return an hour later with food far more edible than Ruby's cooking, from Weiss' favorite bakery no less.

It was Ruby who had decided that the best thing for Weiss' bruised body was a long, hot soak, carrying Weiss in such an intimate embrace that the heiress had been barely able to object. Clutched against Ruby's chest, Weiss could do nothing but revel in the sense of vulnerability and security in her surprisingly strong arms. As she lay in the water, Ruby washing her hair, the foam bubbling out across the water's surface, she wondered how Ruby was so good at this. Ruby never let her hair grow any longer than her shaggy bob, but she worked through Weiss' locks with practiced ease. _Maybe she helps Yang with that mane of hers._

Deciding she no longer cared, Weiss closed her eyes. Wanting to simply enjoy the moment, she did everything she could to shut out the nagging voices that hounded her. Despite the blissful bath Ruby had drawn, Weiss couldn't help but feel uneasy, doubts and horrid fantasies of what could happen between them haunting her rest. No matter how she tried, the hands towelling off her hair reminded her of Ruby's pain and anger the night before, and the talk Ruby had said they were going to have. A talk which Ruby had studiously avoided.

Weiss forced herself to rise, quickly crossing her arms over her chest. The idea of Ruby seeing her naked still made her nervous. She shook her head at her own folly, knowing modesty was futile after having slept with Ruby twice. She'd even insisted Ruby turn around when she'd slid into the tub, pointedly ignoring Ruby's argument that it wasn't anything the younger girl hadn't seen already. At least the soap suds covered her for the most part.

"Are we going to talk about … this?" Weiss finished, cursing her inability to simply ask Ruby how she felt about their … whatever this was. She couldn't call it a relationship, not really. Four years in school, two more as full-fledged huntresses, and in the course of a few nights Weiss had demolished what friendship they had. And for what? A couple nights of sex? Weiss knew Ruby's pampering, lovely though it was, came only out of a misplaced sense of guilt. She dreaded the moment where Ruby would decide that she wanted nothing more to do with Weiss, that their past was just too complicated to overcome.

Ruby was quiet for a long while, her hands still working the towel through Weiss' hair. Finally she stopped, gentle hands twirling pale tendrils up into a knot at the back of Weiss' head. Setting the wet cotton aside and moving to the side of the bath, Ruby rested her head on the porcelain rim. Looking up at Weiss, she seemed so much like a sad puppy that Weiss had to fight to keep from smiling.

"Do we have to?" Ruby asked, "Weiss, I still don't know exactly how I feel about this." She reached out, pushing a fallen strand of fair hair back past Weiss' ear. Her hand lingered on Weiss' cheek, tenderly cupping her face. Weiss met her eyes, her heart skipping at the unbelievable affection that shone from the younger girl's eyes.

"I like being with you. I like spoiling you," Ruby smiled crookedly, a wry note slipping into her voice "But when someone says they love you out of the blue, it takes some getting used to."

The memory of the confession caused Weiss to wince, embarrassment clawing at her insides. "If I could do it over again …."

Ruby stroked her cheek with her thumb before her hands slid up to fix yet another unruly lock back into place. "At least now I have a chance to decide how _I_ feel_. _I just want to take this slow for now."

"I suppose having sex twice makes 'slow' a little difficult," Weiss said, not completely able to keep the sound of a moan from her voice.

Ruby's lips split in that patented mischievous grin, her eyes twinkling as she pulled her hand away. Leaning in, her breath tickled Weiss' ear, "I never said we had to take the sex slowly."

Weiss submerged herself to hide her blush, the soapy water coming up to her nose as Ruby tossed the damp towel over the nearby rack, that infuriating smirk still plastered to her face. As she turned back to the bathing girl, Weiss could see the smile slip from Ruby's face, the girl looking genuinely serious for the first time that day.

"This is all a little new to me, Weiss. I barely dated while we were in school, and you know how I throw myself into our work."

Weiss nodded numbly as a cold hand gripped her heart. _Oh god, did I …?_ "That night, was that … that wasn't your … I didn't ..."

"I'm not _that_ inexperienced," Ruby rolled her eyes, the derision doing wonders for Weiss' pulse. "I've been with a couple people, I'm just not Yang."

Weiss smiled wryly, relief washing over her. Within a few months of starting at Beacon, the entire team had seen how often Yang bounced between boyfriends and girlfriends, thoroughly enjoying herself but only rarely starting serious relationships. She'd never hit on her teammates; she knew the pitfalls of dating someone you lived and worked with as well as Weiss did, but almost anything else that caught her fancy was fair game. At least she'd been discreet enough not to bring her dates back to the room the four had shared. Mostly. Weiss still swore she'd heard Yang's voice coming from JNPR's quarters one night. It was an open secret that the blonde wasn't exactly quiet.

"What about you?" Ruby's voice interrupted her reverie.

"What about me?" Weiss blinked, hoping feigned confusion would get her out of the trap she'd set for herself.

Ruby gave her the most withering stare she'd ever seen on that usually grinning face. Resigned that there was no way out of this one, Weiss cleared her throat. "Not many, but," she lingered, knowing and dreading the discussion she was about to start, "I've only ever dated girls."

Ruby blinked, clearly not expecting that answer. Weiss refused to look away, her reluctance to talk about her history fighting her refusal to be ashamed of it.

"So you've never done it with a guy?" Ruby asked, her customary lack of tact resurfacing.

"That's the hazard of only dating girls," Weiss drawled, letting her voice drip with as much sarcasm as she could muster, "I've always had a bit of an aversion to men."

"That does explain your dislike for Jaune our freshman year."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "As if I'd needed more reasons. At least Pyrrha beat most of the stupidity out of him."

Ruby laughed, the bright note reminding Weiss of one more reason she loved this little redheaded girl, "Remember his face when she proposed? We had to pry his jaw off the floor."

The humor turned infectious, the two devolving into giggles as Ruby's features contorted into an only slightly exaggerated copy of Jaune's. His classic clueless look was ridiculously wrong on Ruby's sharp, clever features. Without warning, she stopped, a small grin creeping cautiously across her face. Weiss cocked her head, waiting for an explanation.

"I just realized, we've gone three days without you yelling at me," Ruby grinned, "I 'm getting all nostalgic for the tsun-tsun Weiss."

Heat flashed up the heiress' face, rage quickly following the steadily creeping blush. "Dammit Ruby, I am _not_ a tsundere!"

"There she is," Ruby chuckled, patting the snow-white head in the most patronizing way possible.

Weiss narrowed her eyes at the grinning little monster. Whipping her arm forward, an arc of water flew towards the infuriating little girl, catching her right in her smug face. Ruby stood there for a moment, water dripping from her nose, before grabbing the wash basin and hurling the liquid back at Weiss.

Minutes later, the tile of Weiss' bathroom was slick with soapy water, their fight having emptied half the tub. Weiss snapped the faucet back on, keeping one arm across her chest until the water once again hid her from view. Ruby stood, wiping water from her eyes, drenched from head to toe. Weiss' assault had soaked the offending girl, leaving her dripping on the already-wet floor.

"Not that this wasn't fun," Ruby laughed, shaking herself like a dog and spraying water everywhere, "But I need to borrow that bath after you're done."

Weiss paused, her pride engaged in epic battle with her desire for the manic redhead. "The tub's big enough for two," she finally mumbled, eyes locked on the opposite wall.

"Sorry?"

"You heard me," Weiss snapped, sinking down beneath the suds to hide her blushing cheeks.

Lying in the bath, she had an excellent view of Ruby's tight ass as she stripped and slid into the water.

* * *

Blake woke with the smell of her morning coffee, the roasted beans wafting through the room and drawing her from sleep. Blake rose, her usual groggy, bear-like mood replaced by a sense of profound contentment. She could still feel herself glowing from the night before, her muscles more relaxed than they had been in a long while. Blake pushed herself from the pillows, the silk sheets sliding off her naked breasts to puddle in her lap. She smiled. There was something delightfully sinful about sleeping naked, the sheets brushing against her bare skin. _Something I plan to do much more often, _she grinned, cherishing the memory of Yang's body against hers.

Blake felt the mattress with her hand as she slid out, blushing at the damp spot on the sheets. Ignoring the clothing lying nearby, Blake flicked the coal-black bathrobe off the wall. Wrapping it around her naked form, she felt the fuzzy cloth tickle against her skin. Blake had half-tied the cloth belt around the robe before she caught herself. Grinning sheepishly, she re-tied the robe, the knot hanging loosely around her hips. The robe now draped across her breasts, leaving the inner curves open to the air. Checking herself in the full-length mirror, she fluffed her hair, quietly pleased at the way the chaotic mass lay across her face. Satisfied at her appearance, and the impact she expected it to have on Yang, she swung open the door.

As she'd hoped, Yang stood in the kitchen, the thin chemise and tight, high shorts she normally wore to bed still hugging her generous form. Blake remembered the feeling of her hands running across Yang's body, the incredible softness resting atop those hard muscles. She smiled at the memory of Yang's hard abs, the sinews moving under her touch. Sneaking up behind her girlfriend, Blake wrapped her arms around the larger girl, her arms tucking tightly under Yang's bra-less chest. Yang gasped from the surprise, Blake's arms pushing up her already prominent breasts.

"Good morning," Blake breathed, kissing the nape of Yang's neck. She smiled as she felt Yang react to the touch, glad that she could get a rise out of her girlfriend after all the teasing Yang normally put her through.

"Someone's feeling frisky," Yang snot back, craning her neck back to kiss the top of Blake's head.

Blake's hand slid down the front of Yang's chemise to slip under the hem, tickling her tight stomach and causing the blonde to giggle. Blake's hand rose, sneaking up the shirt,Yang's breath growing heavy as Blake massaged the annoyingly larger chest. Blake slid her other hand down Yang's back, her fingers slipping down her shorts to grip the blonde's rear. Feeling Yang try to slip away from the surprise, Blake playfully followed her target. Yang moaned, her hands gripping the counter top as Blake ravished her from behind.

"Blake!" Yang gasped as the Faunus kneaded Yang's magnificent breasts.

"_Somebody_ did all the work last night." Blake growled playfully, loving the feeling of having Yang temporarily under her thumb. "It's only fair."

"Oka-ay," Yang said, her voice pitching, "I'll come back to bed."

"I'm enjoying this right here," Blake purred, thinking about everything she normally did to herself and wanting to do it to Yang.

Yang cried out, in pain not pleasure, and Blake froze, her hands stopping. As gently as possible, she slid out of Yang's clothing, horrified at having hurt the girl. Apologizing, Blake turned the blonde around, looking up into her face to see what was wrong.

"Yang, I didn't mean …. I just did what I normally …" Blake fumbled for words, heart pounding from the terror of injuring her.

Yang leaned against the smaller girl, still a little weak from Blake's ministrations. "I'm fine," she panted, patting Blake's head reassuringly, "It was just a little … rough." Catching her breath, she kissed Blake's forehead, her smile beaming down into worried golden eyes.

"It can take a little while to get used to having sex with another girl," she said, an angel of kindness Blake wasn't sure she deserved, "Sorry, but those nails hurt."

Her hands pulled Blake's face back up to hers before sliding down the front of her robe to gently untie the belt. Slipping her hands under the fabric, Blake felt herself start to grow wet as Yang's hands slid up her body. Sliding over to her shoulders, Yang slid the robe off of Blake, leaving her completely naked in the morning air.

Leaning in, Yang whispered in her ear, "Why don't we go back to bed, you take off my clothes, and I'll show you how to make me come."

Blake said nothing, knocking back the nearby cup of coffee in a single go before sweeping Yang up into her arms. The taller girl shrieked happily from the surprise, her legs kicking playfully as she wrapped her arms around Blake's neck. Refusing to show the strain of Yang's weight, Blake bore her lover back to bed. She collapsed onto the mattress, the two girls falling in a tangle of arms and legs, Blake's lips on Yang's neck.

* * *

A blissful eternity later, Blake melted atop her girlfriend, pitch-black hair spilling into blonde tangles, her soft curves and toned form twining with the voluptuous girl beneath her.

"How was it?" Blake asked, a blissful eternity later. Her head rested atop Yang's chest as she snuggled into her lover's side.

"It'll do," Yang sighed. Blake sat bolt upright, ready to scream at this infuriating creature. She _had_ done everything she could to please Yang. Just because she was less experienced, there was no reason for Yang to be so ….

Mouth half-open, she stopped as Yang caught her face in her hands, stroking the furrow from her brow as purple eyes beamed up at her.

"For the first course," Yang grinned evilly, tossing Blake onto her back before descending to devour her lips.

It was going to be a long morning.


	10. Bloody Brew

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who wrote in, especially for the criticism from a few of you. Sorry it's a little later than I'd like. I am going to try to have a new chapter up once a week, but not at the pace I was at before Christmas. Hope you like it.

Bloody Brew

Stepping out of the shower, Blake fought the urge to hiss as the cold air rushed in, banishing the warm comfort of the cooling steam. She shivered, her wet skin turning into gooseflesh as she pawed for the towel, half-blinded by the water still dripping from her hair. Hurriedly drying off, she tossed on the clothes she had set aside, wrapping her thick robe around her to fend off the chill. No matter what she tried, the winter cold still slipped into the apartment. Apparently, the idiot conservationist who'd designed her thermostat thought suffering from hypothermia was better that accidentally leaving the heat running. The timer was automatic, and her complaints to the super had gone largely ignored. Pumping it as high as she could, she jammed the button a few more times for good measure, the angry gesture cathartic despite its futility.

Shaking her feet to remove the last few droplets, Blake stepped onto the carpet of her bedroom, the thick shag infinitely warmer than the freezing tile. She stretched, her back arching like the animal whose ears she shared. Letting the tension seep from her muscles, Blake stared at the moonlit bed resting against the wall. A small smile split her lips as she thought about the marathon session they'd had before Yang had rushed home, not wanting to worry her sister. Blake didn't think Ruby would mind; by now the younger sister should be used to Yang's dating habits. At least she didn't have to worry about outrage from Yang's family over her dating a Faunus. Their father had shared his daughters' lack of prejudice, and Blake had liked him from the moment they'd met. She'd seen where the sisters got their strength, their kindness, and he'd treated the girl's teammates like family. Blake sighed, allowing herself a brief flash of contentment as the room finally rose above subarctic temperatures.

A blast of cold air interrupted her, the sound of the bedroom window clashing against the frame almost painful in the otherwise silent apartment. Blake crossed to the offending pane, forcing it shut against the wind and slamming the latch shut. The Faunus furrowed her brows, convinced that she had locked all the windows during her attempt to winter-proof the apartment. Shaking her head, she walked towards the open door, intent on double-checking the remaining locks.

A creak sounded from the other side of the wall, freezing Blake in her tracks. Her apartment was part of an older building that was renovated in the last few years, cramming the comparative comforts of home into an old, drafty shell. The apartment constantly creaked as pipes and walls would expand and contract with the shifting heat. It was normal for the place to creak and grown at all hours of the night. Blake was sure it had just _sounded_ like the long, painful squeak that came when anyone stepped on the third plank from the right in the main hall, a noise she had meant to fix for weeks.

At least, that was what she told herself as she stood stock-still, straining her ears to hear over the howling wind that rasped at the old walls. The silence stretched on, the wind and her own pulse the only noise that reached her ears. _A count of twenty_, she decided, ignoring the nagging feeling that she was behaving like a child, afraid of things that went bump in the dark.

_One._ It was probably just the apartment creaking.

_Five._ Maybe the upstairs neighbor had a loose board too.

_Thirteen_. She was being an idiot, imitating a statue in the middle of her own house.

_Ninetee …. _The sound came again, that same cursed squeal resounding in her feline ears. Footsteps followed the creaking board, clicking as they moved onto the kitchen tile.

Blake shrank, making herself as small and low as she could in the shadows of the unlit room. Listening as hard as she could, she tracked the footsteps as the intruder – _intruders_, she corrected herself, hearing a second pair of feet press down on the loose board – moved through her home.

As quickly as she dared, Blake slipped across the room and lunged for her dresser. She slid open the second drawer, thrusting her hand inside to grab the Gambol Shroud. Her fingers scratched the bottom of the drawer, grabbing only air. She cursed silently, racking her brain to remember where she'd left her weapon. Not stopping, Blake moved into the corner near the doorway, letting her dark clothing blend with the shadows. Flicking her dark hair to cover her face, she hid her hands in the sleeves of her robe, hiding as much reflective skin as she could. The count kept going in her head as she sat, her every nerve burning as she watched for her target to close in on the bedroom door.

There she waited, flexing occasionally to keep her muscles from going to sleep in the cramped position, her eyes never leaving the moonlit door. Her ears twitched as she heard one pair of shoes stop in front of the doorway. A shadow slowly broke the slice of moonlight that illuminated the doorway, looming large as the man entered the room.

As she would any other opponent, Blake took quick stock of the intruder as he crept into her bedroom. The dim light showed her a straight line of black, the balaclava that covered his face tucked into his black clothing. He barely had size on her, maybe an inch at most, which made Blake's job that much easier. She ran the choreography again in her head, going through each technique and its counters as her muscles coiled to strike.

Crouching in the corner, Blake counted the seconds until the man extended his leg in the middle of his stride. She lashed out, her foot catching him in the side of his right knee; simultaneously Blake knifed his throat with the side of her hand, bruising his windpipe. The leg buckled as the knee dislocated, his weight carrying him down onto the carpeted floor while he gasped for air, incapable of screaming. An elbow to his temple left him unconscious as Blake caught him, lowering him slowly to the floor. She froze for a moment, hoping the quiet choking noise or the shuffle of feet on the carpet hadn't drawn the other man. No pounding feet, no calls of concern, no shots from the darkness came, and Blake allowed herself to relax slightly.

Keeping an eye on the doorway, Blake pulled the body deeper into the room. She ran her hands through her pockets, happy to find no gun on the body. Instead, the man carried a length of wire bound to two small handles. Blake held the garrote, the sharp wire biting into her fingers, the meaning behind the weapon perfectly clear - someone sent these men to kill her, plain and simple. They wouldn't use a garrote for a kidnapping, and a wire wrapped around your neck made interrogation difficult. Blake could feel her prospects plummeting. She had hoped they were thieves; opportunists who'd decided the darkened apartment was an target. Burglars could be dealt with, chased off or detained for the police. But these men were practiced killers, their weapon of choice as deadly as it was silent. Even if she beat these men, it was unlikely that whoever had hired them would give up easily.

_ Adam. _Blake wanted to scream. No matter what she did, how far she ran, he hounded her. Even after he'd died, it had taken years to track down the remaining White Fang cells. And now he was back, refusing to just stay dead.

She realized her breath was coming in short bursts, her chest tight and pounding. Blake forced herself to stop, biting her lip, the pain helping her focus. She took a deep breath and waited for her pulse to slow. Panic now would only get her killed. Adam was dead. She'd seen the body, the gaping wound from Crescent Rose staining his black clothes with blood. No one could walk away from that. She hadn't told Yang about the man she'd seen simply because it couldn't be him. This was fear playing with her mind, nothing more.

_Focus on the problem in front of _you, she told herself, staring down at the unconscious form. Grimacing, she bound the man's wrists with his own garrote, the thin wire biting into the skin. Moving back into her corner, Blake left the body half-hidden behind the bed. One shoe still sat in plain view, a dark streak in a square of pale moonlight. Again she waited, slipping back into her shadowed corner, her ears straining to hear the remaining intruder before he could find his partner.

She didn't have long to wait. The brush of rubber soles on carpet threads announced the man long before he poked his head through the doorway. Seeing the foot poking out from behind the bed, he moved towards the body, pulling the strangle-wire from his pocket. He pulled it between his fingers, leaving just enough slack to wrap around his target's throat. Blake fought the urge to swallow, pushing back the image of the wire wrapping around her neck.

Blake waited until his back was to her before she struck. Her foot snapped into the back of his knee and the man collapsed under his own weight. Blake pounced onto the man's back, fending off the flailing arms as she bore the killer down to the floor. She locked her arms around the man's neck, her choke-hold cutting off the air to his brain as she pushed against his carotid.

Then she made her mistake. She let her face get too far away from his head, giving the gasping man the room he needed to bring the back of his skull slamming into her jaw. Blake's grip loosened and he threw her off, leaving her to roll across the carpet before landing on all fours. She tasted blood in her mouth as he came at her, his roundhouse kick aimed at her head. She turned and ducked under his leg, using the momentum to power her kick into his stomach. The man flew backwards, slamming into the dresser. Blake followed, her elbow slamming into the man's jaw as he recovered. His hands came up just in time to block her punch to his neck, and Blake bobbed her head in time to duck his jab to her face.

She missed his knee as it slammed into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. A hand grabbed her hair and shoved, throwing her across the room, desperate to put room between them. Blake managed to roll onto her feet, but the movement was clumsy. She needed to end this now, before she made any more mistakes.

Blocking the wild roundhouse he threw at her jaw, she grabbed the back of his head as she swept his feet from under him. His weight carried him down as her hand slammed his skull into the footboard of the bed. She could almost feel the impact slam his brain against his skull as he went limp. Blake tossed the body back onto the floor, the adrenaline still pounding in her blood as she slumped onto the floor. She breathed, letting her heart rate slow as she recovered, her stomach and face still aching.

Blake had just finished tying the second man's hands when she heard it. The unmistakable click of a hammer being pulled back. She rolled to the side, dodging shots that never came. Grabbing the small lamp off the sideboard, she pulled her arm back to throw. Twirling, she found herself face-to-face with the silenced barrels of a revolver.

"Drop it," an oddly mechanical voice clipped, accompanied by the telltale click of a safety being pulled. Blake began to lower herself to the floor, the lamp rocking against her foot as she dropped it. Running through her options, Blake had to keep from cursing as the list steadily shortened. This man was smarter than the others, keeping just enough distance between them to make it impossible for her to disarm him without giving the motion away. Still, he was close enough that Blake decided running for it was an equally bad option.

Staring past the barrel pointed at her chest, she looked at the killer standing in her bedroom. A short, thin blade extended out from beneath the chamber, more of a shiv than a real weapon. Looking up to the man holding the odd little gun, she took stock, looking for anything that could give her an opportunity to take him down. He was tall and lean, his stone-grey suit covered by a smoky overcoat that brushed against his thighs. An angular breathing mask covered the lower half of his face, paired with a dark peasant's cap that sat just above the eyes. The Gambol Shroud was slung over his shoulder, the loose strap dangling. Blake's stomach sank. The mask was designed to draw the eye, making it the noticeable feature of his face. Taking it off, he would be almost unrecognizable. The clothes could easily be shed, allowing him to change his profile as he wished. Anyone looking for a man in a dark cap and coat in a crowd would see just another man in a suit. By the time they found the discarded clothes, he would be long gone. Whoever he was, he was a professional, the custom weapons and methodical caution giving Blake fewer and fewer options.

Brass knuckles rested in his other hand, a short blade extending down from his fist. Keeping his gun on her, the suit walked across the room, stopping by the unconscious would-be killers. Flicking his wrist, a small revolver barrel unfolded out of his hand, the knuckle-duster serving as the handle for the small weapon. Without looking away from Blake, he pointed his second gun down at the two men, the telltale spat of suppressed bullets breaking the silence as he shot both men twice in the head. Blake crossed off several more ideas; she had hoped that the man would be reluctant to give himself away with gunfire, but the silenced weapon meant he had few reasons not to simply shoot her and walk away.

"Sorry about the carpet," his muffled voice came through the mask as he flicked the second revolver back into his palm, shrugging apologetically, "The overkill's necessary. People just don't stay dead these days."

"I have to ask you not to call for help," his dark eyes crinkled as he stepped over the bodies, "I'd rather not have to kill the neighbors."

Blake waited until he was pulling his second foot up and over the dead men. As soon as he shifted his weight, she kicked up and out, the lamp that rested against her foot flying towards his face. His arms came up to shield him and Blake bolted, lunging for the open doorway. Porcelain shattered and a bullet spat out, clipping the wall as she ran. Blake flew through the apartment, hand reaching out for the front door. The doorknob twisted and she pulled, but the door refused to open. Two more panicked tugs, and she whirled away, diving behind the kitchen island as two more bullets thudded into the wall behind her.

"I see you're going to make this difficult," came the muffled, emotionless voice.

Blake promptly lobbed a frying open over the kitchen island, aiming towards the last gunshot. She yanked open the island cabinet, pulling the carving knife from the small rack set into the door. She shoved the only one with a cover into the inside pocket of the bathrobe, palming two others and crouching, ready

A small round puck slid along the tile, coming to a stop at the side of the island. Blake lunged for the disk; whatever it was, it wasn't something she wanted near her. Just as she grabbed it, it snapped, letting out a foul-smelling mist. Blake held her breath, knowing the damage was done. The knife fell from her hand as her fingers went numb; her weight carried her down to the floor as her vision swam. She barely felt it when a hand reached down ans gripped her hair, pulling her head up to stare at the assassin.

"Sleep well, Miss Belladonna," those eyes crinkled again as he smiled behind the mask, "I'm going to kill you when you wake."

Author's Note: For those interested, the weapon used by the hitman is a modified Apache revolver mixed with a Stechkin revolver model.


End file.
